


Fangirl Adventures: Daedric Princes

by SOFreddie, winsister91



Series: Fangirl Adventures: Daedric Princes [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Like Prego: It's in there!, Multi, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-04-23 19:24:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 80,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19157404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SOFreddie/pseuds/SOFreddie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/winsister91/pseuds/winsister91
Summary: Dean and Sam rescue two women from certain death at the hands of demons, only to find out they’re more than they ever bargained for. Now the four of them must handle the onslaught of demi-gods Hell bent on their destruction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Supernatural/Skyrim crossover. This is a collaborative fic, written by myself and @winsister91. Pretty much a self-insert on our behalves. We wanted to try writing for different characters and different genres, just see what happened. We’re excited and nervous but would LOVE to hear your thoughts.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean rescue two girls from demons. But why were the demons after them, to begin with?

“Uuugh, my fucking head,” Sammy groaned as her eyes slowly flitted open. Her vision was taking its sweet time to focus, but even through her self created blurred fog, she knew she was somewhere unfamiliar. **  
**

She motioned to sit up, but was attacked by a sudden surge of pain in her ribs, “Ah!!! Fuck!!”

“Hey, hey, take it easy,” a male voice spoke softly, the bed dipping beside Sammy’s body, “You got hurt pretty bad back there.”

“Eeeek!!” she squealed, nearly jumping out of her skin. The jolt in her body wracked it with more pain, prompting a second squeal of pain, “W-who the fuck are you!?”

The man smirked at her, his hazel eyes kind and swimming with amusement and worry, “My name is Sam Winchester. My brother and I saved you and your friend from the demons attacking your house. What do you remember?”

“D-demons!?” she recoiled in horror, “Wh-what?…SHANNON!!!”

She tried to leap from the bed to her feet, but the pain wouldn’t allow it, “Where is she!?”

“She’s in the other bed over there. She took a pretty bad hit to the head and is still out. What’s your name?”

She took a moment before answering, assessing the man sat on the bed beside her. For lack of knowing what else to do, she relented and answered his question quietly, “I-it’s Sammy…I guess we’re part of the awesome name club.”

Sam chuckled and nodded, grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table and helping her to sit up against the headboard, handing her the glass. “When we got to your house, there were several demons attacking the two of you. At first, I thought you might be Hunters with the way you were fighting back. We managed to kill most of them before we had to grab the two of you and make a quick escape. We brought you to our motel room, but your house-” he trailed off, his expression turning grim, “Do you have anywhere you can go? Anyone you need to call? Family maybe, or friends?”

“Ha!” she exclaimed sarcastically, “Yeah, as you might tell by the old brit accent over here, I’m quite far away from home…not that there’s anyone back there anyway, Shannon’s all I have…”

Her eyes trailed to the other bed, gazing briefly at her unconscious friend. She turned back to Sam, turning her mind back, “J-just rewind a second, you said Demons? Dude, I thought we were just getting raided by the fuckers we owe money too…” she chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

Sam sighed, his lips pressed in a tight line as his eyes looked her over. “I promise to explain everything in more detail later. For now, though, we need to make sure your injuries are addressed. We didn’t want to take you to a hospital…too many questions.” he chuckled shyly. “But we’d be happy to take you somewhere when you’ve rested up a bit.” he offered.

“I’m not agreeing to anything until Shannon wakes up, she makes the decisions,” she shrugged with a sigh, “b-but thanks, I mean, you didn’t have to do any of this.”

Her gaze dropped to the glass in her hand which she finally took a gulp from. It was like drinking nectar, she hadn’t realized just how thirsty she was, in moments the entire glass was drained, “Got anything stronger?” **  
**

“Sure,” he laughed, rising from the bed and moving to the small kitchen table, “If you’d let me, I’d like to look over your injuries.” he said, coming back with a bottle of whiskey and a first aid kit, “Didn’t seem right checking covered areas while you were asleep.” he added in nearly a whisper.

“A gent  _and_  a hero?” she tittered, twisting the cap off the whiskey bottle and pouring a triple measure into the glass, “Must be my lucky day….well…considering.”

He laughed again, opening the kit and rummaging. Shannon groaned and stirred from the other bed and Sam’s eyes shot to her, seeing her shift but not quite awake. He turned back towards Sammy, “She’ll be awake soon. Where does it hurt?”

“Uh…” she mumbled, “Well…nothing seems to be not hurting if that’s any help.” She shrugged again, taking a gulp from the new glass and shuddering at the burn of the whiskey on her throat, “Nothing this won’t sort out, I’m fine.”

Before Sam could protest, the motel room door opened, another man entering and shutting the door behind him. He glanced at Sam and Sammy and a small smile tugged at his lips, “Good, you’re awake.” he said, his deep baritone echoing in the room, “I brought food.” he offered, showing the bags in his hands as he set them on the table. He removed his jacket, walking towards the pair, “How you feelin’?”

“Dean,” Sam somewhat chastised the other man, “This is Sammy. I’ve been going over what happened and was about to check her injuries-” Sam was interrupted by another groan and shifting from the other bed as Shannon began to wake. “Can you go check on-” Sam turned to Sammy, his brows raised in question.

“Shannon,” she answered his silent question with a small smile, then looked back to the other man, “Y-you said food?”

Dean grinned, retrieving a burger and fries from the take out bags and handing them to Sam as he made his way over to check on Shannon. Sam handed the items to Sammy, encouraging her to eat.

“Food of kings!” she grinned, eagerly ripping open the wrapper and chowing down eagerly. “I feel like I haven’t eaten in years,” she sighed blissfully after the first bite, “Thanks… _again_.”

“Oh God, my head-” Shannon groaned, forcing herself to sit up slightly against the headboard, her hand pressed to the side of her head, “Sammy?” she asked, squinting her eyes open and seeing fuzzy images of far too many people.

”Shannon!” Sammy answered eagerly, “I’m here babe, this is Sam and…Dean was it?”

“What the hell happened?” Shannon asked, her eyes open further and taking in the two strange men and Sammy on the other bed, “What’s going on?” her eyes showed her growing panic.

“You both got beaten pretty bad,” Dean began to explain, “Me and Sam bailed you guys out and brought you back here.  _My_  question is, the hell are you two doing tussling with Demons?”

“Demons?!” Shannon asked in surprise, her eyes now wide as she looked at Sammy and back to Dean, “We…those guys, they gave me a loan and we fell a bit behind…” Shannon winced as she shifted to sit straighter, “Why were you there?” she countered. **  
**

“It’s…” Dean’s voice trailed slightly, deciding to go for the quick sum up for now rather than a full explanation, “It’s just what we do. Me and Sam take down monsters. Just take it easy right now, slow movements, we don’t know just how hurt you both actually are.”

“Well,” Shannon began, biting through the pain and forcing her legs over the side of the bed, “Thanks for the help and all but we should probably get back home and-” she fell quickly back to the bed as she tried to stand, getting dizzy, “Oh that sucks.”

“Yeah I don’t think we’re going anywhere right now,” Sammy mumbled, downing what was left in her glass, “Apparently ‘home’ is…well… _wrecked_ , “she rubbed her forehead, trying to process too much new information at once before addressing the boys, “Give that girl a burger and some of this whiskey, cause  _boy_  did I need that.”

“I don’t want a drink, Sammy,” Shannon sighed in frustration, “What do you mean home is wrecked?”

“The Demons…” Dean scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, “Well…you must have pissed them off real bad cause your house went up in smoke ladies. I’m sorry.”

“We got there too late to save it,” Sam followed up, “We got you guys out and bailed as soon as we dealt with the Demons.”

“The house  _burnt down_?!” Shannon gasped in shock. “All of our things…everything…” she tried to fight back the tears as she looked over at Sammy in defeat. “What are we gonna do?” she whispered to herself.

“ _I’m_  drinking more Whiskey,” Sammy huffed, turning her head away as she poured another glass in the hope no one noticed her burning eyes. “God damn…” she grunted, downing the whole glass as a single tear broke through.

Sam looked over at Dean, giving him a nearly imperceptible nod as he rose from Sammy’s bed and headed for the motel door, Dean hot on his heels. “We’ll be right back,” Sam offered, “Eat, please.” He closed the door behind him, letting out a long sigh as he looked at his brother, “What do you think?”

“I don’t know man…” Dean sighed as his shoulders slumped, “First, we got the problem that Demons are turning to fucking loan sharking now. Second, we got two chicks with nowhere to go, we can’t just abandon them right?”

“Everything they had is gone, Dean. And Sammy said they don’t have anyone but each other.” Sam wiped a hand down his face and dropped his arms in defeat, “Who’s to say those demons, or other demons, won’t come back for them?” The brothers stood in silence, thinking, before Sam perked up, “Maybe you should call Crowley?” he shrugged, “Maybe he knows something about it or…I don’t know. I mean, we have plenty of room at the Bunker but…you’re the one always saying you don’t want to pull people into this life.”

“True,” Dean nodded in agreement, “But if they got Demons on their tails, they’re already in it now. If they’re borrowing money off these freaks, I’m guessing they were already desperate before…so…maybe we should this time?” **  
**

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, “We’ll need to get them some things though…clothes at least. We can run it by them and see what they say?” he offered.

Back in the room, Sammy and Shannon sat processing in silence, the only sound being the occasional clink of glass as Sammy repeatedly refilled her glass. “Shannon?” she mumbled, a shake in her voice, “I’m guessing by the fact I haven’t woke up yet, I’m not dreaming this bullshit am I?”

“No,” Shannon sighed, shaking her head, “I’m so sorry this happened. I never should have taken that loan. But I was afraid we were gonna lose everything…and now we did anyway.”

“Hey,” Sammy motioned to get up, before wincing and falling back onto the pillow, “Gah!… I would come over there and squeeze hug you to death but I can’t. Maybe…maybe we can just look at this as a fresh start? Clean slate and all that shit?”

“Yeah,” Shannon sighed, “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll ask those guys if I can use a computer, find us a place to go…something. I’ll figure it out, ok?” she smiled at her friend. The door opened, the guys entering once more and flashing small, awkward smiles at the girls.

“Hey,” Dean started, shuffling somewhat awkwardly, “How are you both holding up?”

“Better, thanks.” Shannon offered a small smile, “Do you maybe have a computer I can use? See if I can’t find us a place to go and get out of your hair.” she chuckled nervously.

“Well…” Dean glanced at his brother before turning back to Shannon, “Me and Sam were just talking, we don’t know if those Demons have got any buddies that’ll be pissed at what went down. They may still be looking for you both, and we have a place where you would be safe.”

Shannon’s eyes went wide before she glanced over at Sammy, seeing her shrug and slightly nod in response. Shannon sighed and hung her head, nodding somewhat before looking back at Dean, “Thank you.” she said, trying to fight off her emotions and guilt.

“Okay,” Dean nodded, expecting more of a back and forth or protest, but thankful at the ease, “It’s not ideal with you both being injured but we should move ASAP, get as far away from here as quick as possible. You both good with that?”

“I think we’re a bit in over our heads here and,” Shannon hesitated, “you all seem to know what you’re doing, so…whatever you think is best…I guess.” she shrugged.

The boys shared a look, somewhat taken aback, no one had ever put so much trust in them so quickly. Usually, they’d be called psychopaths or crazy, a whole rigmarole of crap before this stage. Again, they were thankful, it made getting these two girls to safety all the easier.

“What kind of place could possibly be safe from… _things_  like that though?” Sammy shuffled, memories of earlier slowly coming back and fear to creep into her heart.

“We’ll tell you about it on the way,” Sam smiled, coming to Sammy’s bedside, “Can you get up or do you need some help?” he offered, concerned. **  
**

“Dude, I got this,” she smirked, her cheeks rosy from the quarter bottle of whiskey she’d poured down her neck. Rolling her shoulders, she shifted her body. She managed to turn and sit on the edge of the mattress, it was getting to her feet that was the problem, a small squeak of pain passed her lips before she fell back, “Nope, nope, I don’t got this.”

Sam chuckled as he held his hands out for her to grab onto and helped her stand from the bed. She wobbled slightly and his hands immediately went to her waist and around her back to steady her. He blushed slightly as he looked down at her in his arms, “I got you.” he whispered.

“U-uh…heh…” she giggled and blushed twice as hard, looking up at Sam and quickly turning away to look at Shannon for help that she wasn’t going to get, “T-thanks Sam…”

“How about you?” Dean asked Shannon, “You good to move?”

Shannon nodded, standing up from the bed and wobbling, quickly grabbing her head and wincing. “Yeah,” she said through clenched teeth, “Yeah, I’m good.” She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to clear her blurred vision that just wouldn’t focus.

”Easy,” Dean said softly, not convinced at her words, he stood beside her, an arm holding her lower back and keeping her steady, “One step at a time, once we get to the car you can both rest, cause it’s a bit of a long drive.”

Shannon stopped suddenly, “I think…I think I have a concussion,” she practically whined, before throwing a hand over her mouth, “Bathroom?” she asked in a panic, eyes wide as she looked at Dean.

Dean was quick to react, worried that in her state she might struggle to get there in time. After a brief shrug, he quickly scooped her up, cradling her like a damsel and hurried in the direction of the bathroom.

Sam helped Sammy hobble out of the room and towards the sleek, black classic car parked just outside. He opened the back door and helped guide her into the seat, “You okay?” he asked, looking down at her in the car.

“Th-this is your car!?” she squeaked with wide eyes, “ _Damn_! Monster hunting must pay well…”

Sam couldn’t help the snort that erupted at her statement, “Yeah, not so much.” he smiled awkwardly at her, his dimples popping slightly, “It was our Dad’s.” his smile changing to one of pride.

”Your Dad’s got good taste,” she smiled back at him, “F-for the record, I just want to clarify that me and Shannon don’t like…do this. We don’t always drop everything and jump into cars with strangers.” She giggled nervously.

Sam grinned widely down at her, “Yeah well…lucky us, I guess.” he blushed and was quick to change the subject, “The Bunker is really big, so we have plenty of room for you two.” he offered, his expression changing slightly, “You can each have your own room or…share?” he asked quietly with a tick of his brow.

“Oh we’re not together,” she chuckled, cheeks turning a darker shade of pink, “We get that a lot though, but…I’d be lying if I said  _experiments_  hadn’t been explored,” she threw him a wink. **  
**

Sam’s eyebrows shot into his hairline, his lips slightly parted as he took in her words, images running through his head. He quickly cleared his throat, diverting his gaze anywhere else, “Oh, uh…well, that’s…fun.” he internally kicked himself for being so lame, “I’m uh…just gonna see what’s taking so long.” he said, pointing a thumb back to the room and rushing away, the blush on his face and neck very apparent.

“What do you know, monster hunters can get flustered too,” Sammy giggled to herself, admiring the view as he left.

Sam went back to the room, gathering their bags and looking around to make sure they had everything, “Dean? Everything alright?” he shouted from across the room towards the bathroom.

The bathroom door opened and Dean stepped out, “Nothing worse than babysitting you when you’re hungover,” he joked at his brother, “Shannon’s just freshening herself up then I think we’re good to go.”

* * *

“Dean, I’m so sorry,” Shannon whined, climbing from the car after the long six-hour drive, “I’ll clean it, I promise.” she winced.

“I-it’s fine,” Dean mumbled, his expression stoic and firm, hiding his true feelings, “It’s…not your fault.”

“You sorry about my shoes too?” Sammy grimaced, kicking her feet in the dirt.

“I’m sorry about everything. I feel so bad guys, really.” Shannon dropped her head in shame, feeling terrible, “I’ll wash your shoes too.” she offered Sammy with a small smile.

“Oh shush,” Sammy chuckled, leaning back on the car to support herself and an arm holding her ribs, “I’m fucking with ya, stop beating yourself up,” she offered Shannon a reassuring smile, “It’s just shoes, and they’re just car seats, it’s fine.”

“ _Just car seats_ …” Dean grumbled under his breath.

Sam and Dean helped the girls into the Bunker, flicking on the switches at the bottom of the stairs that illuminated the vast, underground space.

“Wow,” Shannon breathed out, her eyes comically wide as she took in her surroundings. “You  _live_ here?” she asked in disbelief.

”Yeah,” Dean answered, a proud smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “The men of letters are long gone and left the place abandoned so…we moved in. Got our own power, water, everything you need.”

Shannon looked at Dean in silent awe for several moments, “I have so many questions.” she breathed out, shaking her head, “But I think I need to lie down…”

“So much… _stuff_!” Sammy murmured, already stumbling forward to look around and let her eyes wander, “I want to explore!” **  
**

“I’ll be happy to show you around,  _Magellan_ ,” Sam smirked playfully, “The place is big, so you shouldn’t wander around on your own or you might get lost. In the meantime, I think we should set you up in some rooms and let you rest.” he gestured towards a side hall, indicating the girls to follow him.

“I can’t sleep knowing all  _this_  is around!” Sammy protested, approaching one of the shelves and running her finger along the spines of many unfamiliar books, “I need an armchair, coffee, and about twenty of these babies to flick through.”

Sam sighed, but smiled in spite of himself, walking to Sammy and firmly placing his hands on her shoulders, turning her back towards the hallway and gently pushing her forward, “Later.” he promised, walking to two neighboring rooms and opening the doors for them, “Sleep.” he locked his eyes with Sammy’s, his tone firm.

“ _Fine_ ,” she pouted childishly, before smiling softly, “Nah, um…seriously Sam, thanks for all…well… _everything_. I’ll sort out the car when I’m up. Will you guys just watch over Shannon for me? I know she’ll be beating herself up so bad, and I’m worried, she’s my girl so she’ll think I’m biased.”

“Yeah, sure thing.” Sam smiled, “Just get some rest and we’ll talk more when you get up, okay?” he nodded his head towards the room, ushering her inside and closing the door behind her. He smiled at Shannon, who had already gotten comfortable on the bed and closed her door as well before going off to find his brother.

Dean sat at the War table, a beer in hand, sliding one across the table towards Sam, “They good?” he asked, sipping on the bottle.

“Yeah,” Sam nodded, sitting and grabbing the bottle Dean passed, “They’ve got rooms next to each other so they aren’t far apart, Shannon was out like a light instantly. Sammy…” his words trailed and he chuckled to himself, “I can’t work out if she’s childish or serious.”

“You two seem to have hit it off,” Dean teased, a smirk barely visible behind the bottle.

“Hello, Dean,” Cas’s voice causing Dean to jump in surprise, spilling some of his beer and cursing under his breath.

“Damnit, Cas,” he growled, trying to wipe up the mess.

“You called for me, so I’m here,” Cas responded, narrowing his eyes in confusion at Dean’s reaction.

“You could always appear in the next room or something?” Dean argued, sipping what was left in his beer bottle, “Then walk in through a door like a normal person!”

“Should I go and come back?” Cas asked confused.

Sam choked a laugh on his beer, earning a glare from Dean.

“Just forget it Cas!” Dean sighed in frustration, “I called you cause I need a favor.”

“Of course, Dean. I’m always happy to help when I can.” Cas said, taking a seat beside Dean and giving him his full attention, clasping his hands in his lap. **  
**

“We got two girls resting up at the moment, they’ve been beaten up pretty bad. One’s concussed and the other I think has broken ribs, d’ya think you could help them?” Dean asked.

Cas had disappeared before Dean even finished speaking. Dean’s eyes wandered around before looking at Sam who gave a shrug in return. Dean sighed in frustration, dropping his head to his hands.

“I have healed them,” Cas spoke, reappearing in the room and causing Dean to jump once more, growling to himself in frustration.

“Thanks, Cas.” Sam smiled at him.

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, rubbing his forehead, “I was wondering if you would check on something for us too. Any idea why Demons are turning to loan sharking?”

“I don’t understand,” Cas tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowed as he pondered Dean’s words, “Demons are possessing sharks now? I didn’t think it was possible for animals to be possessed. No, that doesn’t sound right. I think you are mistaken.”

Sam bit his lip, thoroughly entertained by Dean’s frustrations and Cas’ logic.

“ _No Cas!”_  Dean cried exasperated, “I mean…right, loan sharking is when some jackass lends someone money, with ridiculous interest rates that no one can afford, and usually the poor sap ends up paying in blood. Do you understand?”

Cas nodded in understanding, “High-risk lending. Yes, I’ve heard of that in my conversations with people. What does that have to do with demons, though?”

“That’s what we’re asking Cas,” Sam stepped in before Dean exploded, “Sammy and Shannon, the girls, that’s how they got hurt. Demons seem to be stepping into a new line of business and I think  _Dean_  is trying to ask if you’ve heard or know anything about it.”

“So you met them on a case? Interesting.” Cas said to himself, “Uh, I’m not sure about the demon loans, but I’ll see what I can find out.” he forced a very fake smile onto his face.

“‘ _Interesting_ ’?” Dean mimicked Cas’ voice, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll be in touch if I find anything out,” Cas stated, before disappearing.

“Oh!” Dean growled, “Yeah okay, s _ee ya_!”

“He seem off to you?” Sam asked his brother, mulling over Cas’ reactions, “Like he’s not telling us something?”

“Cas is always  _off_  to me,” Dean scoffed, “But in this case, yeah he’s not telling us something for sure.”

“Maybe you should call Crowley?” Sam suggested, “It would at least let us know if he does or doesn’t possibly know something and he might be able to help out.” Sam shrugged. **  
**

“Yeah because  _Crowley_  is always so happy to help,” Dean retorted, “There’s  _never_  an ulterior motive there.”

“Alright, well…” Sam sighed, the day’s events catching up to him, “How about we catch a few hours and do some research in the morning?” he offered.

“Sure,” Dean nodded, standing and stretching his arms high, “It’s…been a day. I’m wondering how long until those two bail when they realize how damn crazy our life is.”

“Bail?” Sam smirked at Dean, “I thought we were just helping them out  _temporarily_?” Sam teased. “Already worried about scaring the women off, huh?” Sam laughed, walking towards his room.

“Well, I’m hardly gonna complain at having two chicks in the bunker am I!?” Dean called after him, “Hell…I could get used to it…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel informs Sam and Dean of the impending Daedric threat, as well as something intriguing regarding the girls.

“Morning,” Sam said as Dean walked into the kitchen, not looking up from his laptop, “I think I may have found something.” Sam sipped at his coffee, watching as Dean sauntered to sit at the table, eyes half closed.

“Dude, did you even sleep?” Dean grumbled, raking a hand through his bed hair, “What have you got?”

“So get this,” Sam said, looking up from his laptop, “I did a search involving loans, injuries or deaths, and possible signs of demonic activity. Turns out there have been a few cases in and around the girl’s town where people went missing after they had fallen behind on loans.”

“Something tells me these people are more  _butchered_ rather than missing,” Dean scoffed, grabbing himself a coffee from the machine and sitting across the table from Sam, “So I’m guessing we got to the girls just in time before they joined the list.” 

“Probably. Each of the victims went missing after their homes burned. Police reports are suspecting either insurance fraud or a serial arsonist. But neither explains why the victims were never found.” he furrowed his brow, returning to scan through information on the computer.

“What would demons even get from doing this though?” Dean pondered, “It’s not like they  _need_ money, they can just possess some rich dude, right? Unless…what if it’s souls they’re after?”

“Put the victims in duress and get them to sell their souls in exchange for the debts?” Sam pondered it for a minute, “Seems different than regular deals. They’re not granting wishes, they’re forcing hands if that’s the case…”

“It stinks of Crowley, I know that much,” Dean scoffed before taking a deep gulp from his cup.

“I don’t think so, Dean.” Sam countered, “Crowley always talks about honoring deals. I mean, remember that demon case in Delaware? WIth the fake Wiccan friend?” Sam danced around the details. “Crowley wasn’t too happy about business not being handled as usual. I doubt he would approve of this.”

“Heh,” Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam knowingly, “Well, maybe you’re right…I should call him.”

Shannon found her way to the kitchen, following the sounds of the guy’s voices. “Hey,” she chimed in sheepishly, “Uh, good morning.” she smiled, walking closer to them, “I, uh, don’t mean to sound alarmed…or ungrateful…but, uh…” she gestured to herself in question, noticing her wounds were gone.

“Oh, well,” Dean scratched his head trying to find the right words, “Remember how we said we hunt monsters, there’s also Angels too. We got you both healed up while you rested.”

“Two monster hunters with an Angel healer friend?” Shannon laughed, “Sounds like a Dungeons and Dragons game.” she chuckled. “Uh, well, I guess…thank you? To your friend?” she smiled uneasily.

The boys laughed, Shannon wasn’t wrong with her observation on how their life must sound to outsiders.

“No problem,” Dean smiled, “Just glad you’re okay. Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” she smiled, “And after maybe I can return the favor and clean out the car? I’m still sorry about all of that. It’s the least I could do.”

“Done!” Sammy’s voice echoed as she entered the room with a beaming smile on her face, “Sorry, I couldn’t get much sleep, but man, I feel like a new woman! I went exploring and found the garage soooo, car’s clean!”

“You cleaned the car?” Shannon and Dean asked in unison, Dean’s eyes narrowing slightly as he rose from his seat. “Uh, thanks, I think.” Dean forced a smile, “I’ll just go, uh, make sure it was all done ok. Sometimes, nooks and crannies and all.” he muttered awkwardly, before exiting the kitchen and taking off towards the garage.

Sam chuckled at his brother, looking at the girls and gesturing to the table, “Get some coffee, sit.” he offered.

Sammy stared at the empty doorway for a moment before doing as she was told and sitting, “D-did I do something wrong? That car is so  _fine,_ I just couldn’t let it sit there swimming in puke all night…”

“Dean is very protective of his ‘ _Baby_ ’,” Sam mocked, gesturing with his hands, “If you don’t use certain products in certain places and clean a  _certain_ way…” Sam shook his head, placing a hand on top of Sammy’s reassuringly, “I’m sure you did fine.”

Her cheeks tinted pink at the contact from his hand, “W-well…It was just to say thanks and all that…” she turned to Shannon, “How are you doing girl?”

Shannon smirked at Sammy, enjoying seeing a man have that effect on her friend, “Great, actually. Apparently, they have an Angel healer friend.” Shannon said with raised brows.

“Angel?” Sammy’s eyes went wide, “Well, if Demons are real I guess it makes sense for Angels to be as well…man, I wonder what else is real?”

“Pretty much everything you can think of, and then some.” Sam chimed in. “It’s all real. Every nightmarish thing you can imagine. But my brother and I, we hunt those things and hopefully, save a few people in the process, such as yourselves.”

“That’s so  _badass_ ,” Sammy looked up at him with sparkling eyes, “You’re like…real life Superheroes! How many other ladies you had come and crash in your hideout huh?” she giggled, winking at Shannon like they’d both won the lottery.

“Thanks,” Sam chuckled, dropping his head, “But it’s not so badass. More dangerous…and lonely. And uh…none. We don’t bring anyone here. It’s our secret safe place, you know?” he shrugged.

“Oh…” her head dropped a little, “Pretty thankless job then…damn…” she turned to Shannon, looking her in the eye like they were both having a silent conversation, “I have an idea.”

Shannon tilted her head in question at Sammy. “Oh yeah, what’s that?” Sam asked with a small smile.

“Well, Shannon and I have nowhere to go,” Sammy started, looking at Shannon who nodded for her to continue, “You boys are off out being Superheroes and come home to a cold empty ass bunker, so…why don’t we look after the place while you’re away? Shannon’s an ace cook, I can clean and shit, keep the place all nice and warm and  _not_ lonely!”

“Sammy,” Shannon chastised, “We really should be looking for a shelter, jobs, rebuilding. This is their safe place. I’m sure our being here is just as uncomfortable for them as it is for us.” she offered a friendly smile to Sam.

“I get that…” Sammy’s shoulders slumped, “I’ll be honest I’m being kinda selfish, cause I’m not so keen on going back out there after Dean said those demons could be following us. But that’s why they brought us back here right? It doesn’t have to be permanent, just a safe hideout for us while the heat dies down and give these guys some long overdue thanks.”

“She’s right,” Sam spoke up, “It’s not safe out there. You shouldn’t leave until we get this sorted out. When it’s all said and done, if you still want to go, we won’t stop you. And it would be nice to have some company around here besides Dean.” he glanced at Sammy with a barely-there smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Who’s leaving?” Dean asked, coming back into the kitchen, “No one’s leaving ‘til we’re sure you two are safe.” he said seriously, looking between all parties.

“There we go! Problem solved,” Sammy offered a smile to Shannon, “C’mon, you know you love feeding people,” she elbowed her with a smirk, “And have you  _seen_ this kitchen? You know you  _so_ wanna play in here.”

“I do enjoy cooking. Four is always more fun than just two.” Shannon smiled, her eyes wandering over the details of the kitchen before landing on Dean, “If that’s okay with you? I wouldn’t mind.” she smiled warmly up at him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said no to a home cooked meal in my life,” Dean chuckled, “Feel free, I just don’t want you thinking we’re trapping you here, just wanna be sure you’re safe, and here is probably the safest place in the world. There’s so much warding, nothing can possibly get in.”

“Dean,” Cas appeared in the kitchen, looking over the group, “Uh, hello.” he said to the girls who were staring at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed, “I…can we speak? Alone?” he said to Dean.

“H-he just appeared,” Sammy squeaked quietly to Shannon, “H-how…?”

“This is Castiel…Cas,” Sam explained, “Our Angel friend.”

“Oh!” Sammy looked the Angel up and down, “Hi! Uh…thanks? I hope it wasn’t too much trouble, I know I’m not exactly religious and I’ve sinned,  _boy_ have I sinned, I…I’m gonna shut up now.”

“Right, Cas, so, you wanted to talk?” Dean said, walking out of the kitchen and to the library, Cas hot on his heels.

“Don’t worry,” Sam laughed at Sammy’s babbling, “I kind of had the same reaction initially.” he shrugged.

“What do you know Cas?” Dean asked him once they reached the Library.

“How are things?” Cas asked, his eyes narrowed as he studied Dean, “With Shannon and Sammy?”

“Uh…” Dean narrowed his eyes in return, taken aback slightly by the unexpected question, “Well… _fine_ I guess, they’re healed…it’s looking like they’re gonna stick around here for a while until we work out what’s going on with the Demons.”

“And what then?” Cas persisted, “You’ll let them leave?”

“I don’t know Cas!” Dean huffed in mild frustration, “I can’t see into the future! If they want to leave, it’s not like we can stop them, why are you so bothered anyway?”

“I’m…not bothered.” Cas defended, “They just…seem like good people. And you and Sam don’t have many…good people, in your lives.” Cas’s eyes refused to meet Dean’s as he spoke.

“Cut the crap Cas,” Dean rolled his eyes, “There was something off with you last night too, what’s going on?”

Cas stared at Dean for several long moments in silence, “I found out more about the demons…” he offered.

Dean stared the Angel down momentarily, “Care to elaborate?”

“There’s a new demon, trying to usurp Crowley and is gathering souls any way he can in the fight against Crowley. His name is Hermaeus Mora and he’s the one who ordered those demons to start a number of soul-gathering efforts, including the loans you spoke of.”

“So it  _is_ souls they’re after,” Dean nodded, “So how big is this guy? Cause we’re gonna gank him right?”

“He’s a Daedra,” Cas explained, “They’re like demi-God demons. He won’t go down easily.”

“Nothing me and Sam can’t handle, we’ve danced with Gods before. How do we take him down?”

“I’m not sure. All Daedra are different. But, Dean…that’s not all…” Cas was hesitant to speak, looking almost pained.

“Go on,” Dean folded his arms and waited for the second dose of bad news.

“Mora can, sort of, see and know all. Not like God, but if he focuses on a particular thing, he can see and know all about it. And I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I saw the marks when I healed them and Mora knows, which means he’ll likely stop at nothing to…” Cas breathed out a sigh, seeing Dean’s confusion. Cas was apprehensive to tell him the truth, suspecting how Dean would react and denying himself what was inevitable.

“Marks?” Dean tilted his head, baffled, “The hell are you talking about Cas? You saying this Mora already knows they’re here?”

“Well, I’m sure he does, yes.”

“And we can’t just…go somewhere else, cause I’m guessing he’ll know that too.”

“He’ll eventually catch up, I’m sure. He knows where you are, but he and his demons can’t get in here. It’s warded against pretty much everything. But he’ll come for them, I know it. He’s seen the marks too, he knows what it all means.”

“Cas,” Dean lowered his voice, reaching the end of his patience, “Stop running circles around it and tell me what the hell is really going on here. What marks?”

“Cupid marks,” Cas sighed, “Soulmate marks in particular. Soulmates are born with the marks on their hearts. I saw the marks when I healed them. I wasn’t gonna say anything to you or Sam because I  _know_  how you are and I didn’t want anyone to ruin that, especially you two. But Mora knows, which means he’ll come for them.” Cas let out a breath and stared at Dean, seeing him trying to process everything. “Sammy and Sam….and you and Shannon.” he said sympathetically.

“S-soulmates!?” Dean cried, before quickly lowering his voice to a whisper, “They’re our freaking soulmates!? Oh for fuck…” he rubbed his forehead, his mind suddenly racing at a million miles per hour, “No. Nuh uh, we’re Team Free Will, we fight back against all that destiny crap.”

“You’re also Winchester-Campbells.” Cas added, growing irritated at Dean’s expected response, “You know what Heaven went through, all the little moves they made to see Mary and John together, to see you two born. The Winchester bloodline is  _important_ Dean. You and Sam have to continue that, so…Soulmates.” he shrugged, “And you can’t just push them away like you’ve done with others in the past. For one thing, they are safer with you. And because of that bond, I don’t really think you’d be able to even if you tried.”

“I didn’t say I was going to push them away!” Dean argued.

Cas rolled his eyes at Dean, clearly not believing him in the slightest.

“Cas, all I’m bothered about is keeping those two girls safe. Because that’s what we do, not because they’re apparently our soulmates. So I’m not gonna go tossing them out into the streets or some dick move like that, but…what the hell do we do then? This Mora guy is apparently waiting for us, so how do we gank him? And…” Dean stopped, sighing and dropping his head in thought, “And…should we tell them?”

“As far as they go, it’s really up to you. Though I recommend you get Sam up to speed on everything. As for Mora…I’m not sure. Daedra are tricky. You and Sam should probably do research. In the meantime, I can create a wide berth of warding around the Bunker, a few miles maybe. It should at least cloak you enough so they can only pinpoint down to the town, not the Bunker.”

“Right,” Dean nodded, letting out a long breath as he looked back into the hallway, “I’ll…talk to Sam.”

Cas nodded before disappearing, leaving Dean bewildered in the Library.

* * *

  
Later that night, Sam and Dean sat alone in the Library, sharing glasses of whiskey after the ladies had gone to bed.

“So…you gonna tell me what’s up with you?” Sam asked over the brim of his glass, eyeing his brother.

“What do you mean what’s  _up_ with me?” Dean defended quickly, having being unable to broach the soulmate topic with Sam all day, “I’m fine.”

“You’re acting as strange and elusive as Cas was earlier.” Sam accused, narrowing his eyes, “I know you, Dean. You know something and you’re not telling me.”

“So what if I do!?” Dean reacted childishly, before groaning and dropping his head, “It’s…I…fuck sake man, it’s fucked up.”

Sam immediately grew worried, seeing Dean’s reaction making him think the worst, “What is it? Another possible end-of-the-world catastrophe?”

“That’s the easy part of it,” Dean scoffed, “It’s the rest I’m struggling to process. You know I told you that Cas said it was Daedra?”

“Yeah? I’ve been struggling to find anything on them so far, but…”

“Like I said, the Deadra thing is the easy part, it’s…his motivation that throws a spanner in the works.”

“Is it souls? Like we thought?”

“Ugh,” Dean rolled his eyes, trying to explain the simpler details quickly first, “So this Mora guy is collecting souls, trying to overthrow Crowley yadda yadda yadda, the girls were one of his targets, right?”

“Okay,” Sam drug out the word as he processed what he was hearing, “So…we talk to Crowley, get his help with this guy, take him out, then all goes back to normal, right? Well, as normal as it can be I guess…”

“Heh,” Dean laughed awkwardly, “That’s what I thought, but there’s… _complications_.”

“Jesus, Dean!” Sam scoffed, “Enough with playing dentist. It’s like trying to get Cas to get to the point, I swear! Spit it out!”

“I’m trying to find the words okay!?” Dean yelled, “I’m still processing this!”

“Dean,” Sam sighed, clenching his jaw and trying to remain calm, “You’ve never had this hard of a time explaining something. How bad could it be?! We’ve faced countless inhuman things, apocalypses, been pitted against each other, been to Hell and back…what could  _possibly_ be so awful that you can’t even put it into words?” he ended up whispering, the fear in his eyes evident as he pleaded silently with his brother.

“They…the…th-the girls…” Dean grunted at himself in frustration and decided to just let it all out in one swoop, “They’re our soulmates, Sam! Cas saw the cupid marks when he healed them! Sammy and you, Shannon and me. Mora knows.  _That’s_ why he’s gunning for them, and he’s got eyes all over town looking for them no doubt!”

Sam’s eyes went wide, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly as he shifted in his seat, trying to speak, but unable. “So…s-so they are our…and someone’s  _already_ looking to kill them for it?!”

“We ruined their damn lives before we’d even met them,” Dean growled, drinking deeply from his glass before slamming it back down on the table, “God damn…”

“What do we do?” Sam breathed out, “What do we tell them?”

“Exactly what I’ve been asking myself all day…” Dean sighed, before refilling his glass, “And I still got no clue.”

“Okay,” Sam sighed out, running his hands through his hair, “I’ll add…S-soulmates to my research. Maybe there’s a way to…t-to remove it?” he looked at Dean, gauging his reaction.

“Sure, if you want all of heaven on our asses too,” Dean shook his head, “I thought Cas was gonna beat me down there and then when I suggested we go against it.”

“So it’s a big deal then? Like Mom and Dad?” Sam asked, the young, innocent child Dean remembered so clearly shining through in his eyes as he looked to his big brother for guidance.

“Apparently so…” Dean said quietly, unable to offer the guidance Sam wanted, “Cas talked about bloodlines and…you know… ugh, I think  _normally_ one side of the party doesn’t know beforehand though, so I don’t know what to do.”

“I guess it explains why I felt so drawn to her from the start.” Sam mumbled to himself, looking up at Dean across the table, “D-did you feel like that too?”

“Since the moment I laid eyes on her,” Dean admitted, “I just want her to be safe…and gank any fucker that comes near her.”

“You know the best way to that is to keep them close. And keeping them close most likely means that we’ll…eventually…” Sam sighed, defeated, “…give in.”

“Yeah…” Dean mumbled, “Look, whatever. We do what we do, and that’s ganking the bad guys right? Whatever else happens…happens. The question is, do we tell them?”

“I think the shit about Mora and all that’s going on there is more than enough for them to process at the moment. Throwing  _this_ whole thing into it…they might get scared or think we expect something from them because we let them stay here. I don’t know what we’re gonna do about this, fight it or…but I’ll be honest, the thought of her not being around or being scared…” he shook his head.

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Dean stated, “Now she’s here, I don’t want to push her away. So…you’re right, we keep quiet. Focus on this Mora jackass.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our quartet theorizes about the Daedra and Sammy discovers some odd research.

Shannon walked the hallway, en route to the kitchen, when she heard shuffling come from the Library. She followed the noise, stopping in the archway as she saw Sam and Dean sitting opposite each other at one of the tables. Several books sat littered across the table’s surface, some open, some closed, along with several papers and files. **  
**

“Good morning,” she said, looking at them curiously, “Have you two been to bed?” she asked, concerned, seeing how tired they looked.

“Shannon!” Dean nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. He looked up from his book, quickly snapping it closed to hide the entry on soulmates, “Uh…j-just got caught up in research I guess,” he shrugged with a small laugh, he could feel his cheeks starting to grow warm as he quickly turned his gaze away.

“Oh. Is that normal for you?” she smiled warmly.

“For  _Sam_ , it is,” Dean retorted with a smirk, “But…this one’s a  _real_  kicker I guess.”

“Well…have you eaten? I could make some coffee. Maybe some breakfast? I’m not sure what all you have but I’m sure I could figure something out.” she offered.

“Y-you don’t have to,” Dean answered quickly, “I-I mean, you just got up, you should…relax or something. I-I…I need the bathroom.” He quickly got up and left, making Sam roll his eyes.  _Smooth_ , the younger Winchester thought.

“I’d love a coffee if that’s okay?” Sam said with a smile, “I-Is…Sammy up yet?”

“As soon as the smell of coffee wanders these halls, she’ll come stumbling in like a zombie in the apocalypse.” Shannon laughed, making her way to the kitchen. Sam looked down at the book he was reading with a sigh, snapping a picture of the text and sending it to Dean before closing the book and making his way to the kitchen.

Dean, hiding in the bathroom and chastising himself for acting like a teenage girl, pulled his phone from his pocket at the sound of an incoming message. He opened it, seeing it was from Sam and squinted at the pic, enlarging it to read properly:

_**If a subject of the Bond is made aware of the existence of the Marks or Bond, the connection becomes undeniable and impossible to ignore, thus fulfilling the purpose of the Bond.** _

“Son of a bitch,” Dean groaned, resisting the urge to crush his phone in his frustration. Well, at least he knew why he was feeling more and more…

* * *

“Coffeee….” a croaky voice entered the kitchen as Sammy arrived right on cue. The boys were sat at the table rubbing their bloodshot eyes while Shannon manned the stove.

“Food will be done shortly,“ Shannon offered, “Eggs, bacon, and pancakes.” she smiled happily to herself.

”Mmmm,” Sammy hummed in glee at the news, practically floating towards Shannon and hugging her from behind, “This is why I love my wifey, she looks after me.” **  
**

“Love you too,” Shannon smiled, patting Sammy’s hands, “Now stop trying to steal a bite and go wait patiently at the table.” she scolded in her ‘mom voice’.

“B-but  _bacon_ ,” Sammy whined, trying to swipe a slice before Shannon slapped her hand away, “ _Fiiiiine_.”

As she turned away from the cooking area of the kitchen, Sammy was met with a wall of Sam as he smiled sheepishly down at her, extending the cup of coffee he held in his hands, “I, uh, wasn’t sure how you took it, so it’s just black.” he smiled nervously at her.

“Oh!” she jumped slightly, taking the cup and smiling back up at him, “Thanks, do you guys have creamer and sugar?” she tucked her hair behind her ear, blushing slightly and fearing she was coming across ungrateful.

Sam chuckled lightly, “Just like Shannon. We have milk and sugar. When we go on a supply run, we’ll be sure to get some things you guys like too. Just make a list.” he said, pulling forth the milk and sugar and placing it on the stainless steel island for her use, before scurrying back to his seat at the table.

“Way to be obvious,” Dean scoffed under his breath so only Sam could hear. Earning him a kick under the table.

“Like you can talk,” Sam mumbled back, shooting Dean a glare.

“Here you go,” Shannon smiled as she set down the platters of food on the table before the brothers. “Um…plates and utensils?” she asked shyly.

“I’ll grab them,” Dean said quickly, “You sit. Man, this all looks  _amazing_ …” he quickly grabbed plates and cutlery for everyone and sat back down, helping himself to a large portion.

“How’d you sleep?” Shannon asked Sammy as she prepared her own plate, digging into the smaller portions.

“Like a baby,” Sammy chuckled, tucking into the pile of pancakes she’d assembled for herself, “It’s weird having a big bed all to myself though, I’m used to snuggling up to your butt,” she poked her tongue out at Shannon playfully.

“It’s  _awesome_  not waking up to your knees in my spine.” Shannon teased back.

Dean watched the exchange with wide eyes, nearly choking on his bacon, “Y-you both…shared a bed?”

“We did, yeah,” Shannon shrugged, “Our place was small and we only had one bed, so we shared,” she explained like it was no big deal.

“So, no lonely nights for us back then,” Sammy giggled, shooting Sam a smirk, remembering back to his flustered state at her comment on the night they met.

“Right, what with the snuggling and…experimenting,” Sam added in a whisper, trying to hold back those images once again.

“Experimen-” Dean literally did choke on his food this time, “It’s too early for this kind of talk…” he held his head, trying to hide the burn on his cheeks.

“Hey, if we can’t talk about it, we shouldn’t be doing it, right?” Shannon chuckled, looking at Sammy and enjoying the boys’ flustered states.

“Hehe,” Sammy giggled with Shannon, “They’re so cute when they’re blushing.”

“You two are trouble, I can tell already.” Sam laughed, smiling at Sammy with a twinkle in his eye.

“You’re the ones that brought us back here,” Sammy poked her tongue out again, “Now you gotta deal with our trouble, like it or not!”

“I think we’ll manage,” Sam added with a wicked smirk and a wink.

“We’ve dealt with much worse than two dirty talking ladies,” Dean laughed confidently.

“Oh honey,” Sammy looked at him sympathetically, “I’ve seen Shannon make the burliest and manliest of men blush like little teenage girls.”

“Well, in  _my_  defense…if they can’t handle me at my worst, they certainly don’t deserve me at my best.” Shannon pointed out, rising from the table and collecting the dishes, “So, did you guys need any help with that research? It seemed important enough to keep you up all night. Maybe we could ease some of the burden?” she offered, moving to deposit the dishes in the sink.

“Ooo!” Sammy exclaimed excitedly, “Hell yeah! I’ve been itching to dig into some of those books!”

The boys shared a worried glance, “I-it’s okay!” Dean answered for the both of them, “You guys don’t need to worry about that stuff!”

“You’re researching on the demons, right? We could help if you tell us what to look for.” Shannon said, sitting back at the table, “Besides, might help get us out of your hair sooner.” she smiled.

“W-well I mean, there’s no rush really is there?” Dean laughed awkwardly, “I wouldn’t say you were…i-in our hair…”

“I appreciate what you guys are doing,” Shannon said, placing a hand on Dean’s forearm, “But you don’t have to be so nice. We’re  _strangers_ …in your  _sanctuary_. I mean, if roles were reversed, I’d probably be itching to help us get on our feet and no longer be a concern, you know?”

“Who’s concerned?” Dean shrugged, leaning back in his chair, “I-I mean, I’m not concerned. No itches. Nothing.”

Sam kicked Dean under the table once more, glaring at him slightly. “We just need to focus on the case. The sooner we track down these demons and why they targeted you, the sooner you’ll be safe.” Sam explained, proud of himself for his quick thinking.

“So what do you know so far?” Sammy asked in curiosity, “You guys were up all night right? Any clue why they’re targeting us?” **  
**

“Uh…well…” Sam shifted in his seat, cupping his empty coffee mug and staring into it as if it could give him the answers, “From what we can tell, several people have been targeted throughout your area and others. The demons are trying to gather souls for war.”

“ _Damn_ ,” Sammy grimaced, “Sounds serious. But I mean, there are so many people out there, surely they’d give up the chase on us and just go for some other poor schmuck right? Not that I’m saying that’s a good thing, but now we’re here, they may just move onto someone else? We’ve got to stop them!”

“We’re trying to piece together information so we can stop them,” Sam smiled warmly at Sammy and her insistence to save others that might befall their trauma, “A-and demons, they, um, they’re…” he looked at Dean as he spoke, “they’re…vengeful,” he said, an unnoticed shrug directed at Dean.

“Yeah,” Dean breathed out, picking up Sam’s trail, “They uh…they sort of…catch your sent and now you’re like the ones that got away, so…” he chuckled humorlessly, glancing at Sam who pursed his lips and nodded, impressed at the improvisation.

“Persistent fuckers huh?” Sammy nodded holding her chin in thought, “Well, I don’t care what either of you says, I’m hitting the books and helping you track them down. Right Shannon?”

“People tend to get used to doing things a certain way. Maybe our trying to help would only get in the way of them doing what they do?” she shrugged, “But I wanna help some way so…I’m a really good house bitch at least. Any domestic servitude things you need?” she smiled cheekily at Dean and Sam.

“You’ve already done enough,” Dean grinned at her, “That breakfast was perfect. Just…relax, watch some Netflix or something and get comfy. Me and Sam have got this.”

“Well, if you’ve got a gaming console, I’m sure Sammy would be plenty occupied…for like,  _days_.” she laughed.

Sammy’s eyes went wide and she stared at the boys hopefully, “H-have you?”

“We don’t, actually,” Sam frowned apologetically at Sammy before looking at Dean, the two of them nodding. “Listen, we need to make a supply run anyway, for food and such. And I know you all need some clothes, toiletries, all that. So…why don’t we make a shopping trip today?” he offered.

“Sounds good,” Sammy grinned, itching to get outside as the cabin fever was starting to set in, “b-but…well, as you’ve probably gathered, we don’t exactly have any money…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sam said, getting up from the table, “We’ll take care of it. And no…you’re not paying us back either.” he added with a stern look.

“It’s not like it’s our money anyway,” Dean laughed, getting to his feet, “Hunting doesn’t exactly pay but…we have our methods.”

“Do I dare ask?” Shannon inquired meekly.

“Probably best if you don’t,” Dean smirked at her cheekily, “Well, I say let’s head out then.” **  
**

* * *

“I cannot believe you  _actually_  bought a PS4 Bundle for Sammy!” Shannon giggled playfully. “It certainly wasn’t necessary. But thank you, for getting us this stuff and for a really nice day out. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

“Hey don’t mention it,” Dean smiled, a warmth spreading across his heart at seeing Shannon’s smile, “I had fun too. Sammy looks…well…” he gestured to her as she scurried quickly down the hall of the Bunker clutching the large bag like a Leprechaun guarding its treasure, “Excited?”

“Oh, she’s lost to us,” Shannon sighed jokingly, “We’ll see her in 24-48 hours after she’s had a good binge,” she smirked a side glance at Dean.

“So long as she’s happy I guess,” Dean shook his head with a light laugh, “Are we losing you to that Chromebook too?”

Shannon laughed heartily, “No, not just yet. I’m gonna put away the groceries and get started on dinner.”

“Oh c’mon now,” Dean chastised lightly, “You did breakfast and been on your feet all day. At least let me help.”

“I don’t mind, really. I sort of like taking care of people. And cooking is a great way to do that. Not to mention I’m pretty excited to make this dish. I mean, I got all the stuff and it’s so  _good_ , I promise.” she grinned at him.

“Well, that just sounds to me like you could do with a sous chef,” Dean winked, “Face it, I’m helping.”

“You’re stubborn, aren’t you?” she smirked at him, “Alright, come on.”

“Oh, well  _I’ll_  just go do all the research then,” Sam called after the duo as they made for the kitchen, “Dammit Dean!”

Shannon stopped, hearing Sam’s grumbling, “You should go help your brother,” she smiled, taking the bags from Dean’s hands, “I got this. You can Sous for me another time.” she winked, making her way to the kitchen.

“Firing me already?” Dean joked, leaning back on the kitchen counter and folding his arms, “Sam will be fine, I think I’m just an annoyance to him when he goes into bookworm mode. He loves it really.”

“If you insist,” Shannon said, sorting out the items for dinner and putting things away, “I think someone just doesn’t like research.” she teased.

“Who? Me?” Dean held his hands up, “What on earth gave you that idea?” he smirked.

“Well, research is gotta be pretty boring if you’re willing to spend your time cooking with me,” she laughed.

“What’s the harm in getting to know the chef?” he smiled, “Seems wrong to barely know someone who’s keeping me fed and living under the same roof, throw me a bone here.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m just not used to guys - people - wanting to spend that much time with me.” she shrugged, focusing on her task.

“Well, those people are missing out,” he said with a shrug, “So, what can I do to help?”

* * *

Sam tried to research, he really did. But he was pissed at Dean for abandoning him. Well…maybe he was just jealous that Dean found an excuse to spend time with his…intended. Sam sighed for the umpteenth time, having reread the same paragraph multiple times and gotten nowhere.

“Fuck it,” he said, slamming the book shut and making his way to Sammy’s room. He took a deep breath before knocking on her door, hoping she’d be willing to spend some time with him.

“I can’t pause!” her voice echoed from the other side, “Just come on in!”

Sam smiled, shaking his head, before opening the door, walking inside and seeing Sammy sat on the end of her bed, her eyes focused intently on the TV before her. Sam made his way to stand at the foot of the bed beside her, looking at the TV.

“Whatcha playing?” he asked.

“Sam?” she asked, surprised that it wasn’t Shannon telling her off for shouting or something, “Oh uh…it’s called Yakuza…FUCKING BASTARD!” Her thumbs tapped rapidly on the controller as an over the top fistfight between two Japanese men filled the screen. It looked…insane, people didn’t normally fight surrounded by pink auras.

“Can I watch?” Sam asked, motioning to sit beside her on the bed.

“Sure,” she shrugged with a smile, “Be warned though, I shout and I gush about this damn game. Fuck, I love it so damn much. When it isn’t being a…TWAT.”

Sam chuckled, sitting beside her on the bed. He shifted for several minutes before sliding to the floor and propping his back against the bed, watching the screen in silence.

“I’m guessing research isn’t going so well if you’re coming in here to watch me nerd out,” Sammy chuckled, winning the boss fight and finally pausing the game, “You sure you don’t want any help?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Sam said, tilting his head back to look at her with a smile and returning his eyes to the screen, “Just thought it would be nice to get to know you more. You know, since you all are staying with us and whatnot.”

“Fair enough,” she shrugged, laying the controller down and crossing her legs together on the mattress, “I guess we did kinda just…invade your lives a bit. Sorry about that.”

 

Sam frowned, rising to plop himself on the mattress beside her, “It’s not an  _invasion_.” Sam insisted, “I know we sort of crash landed into each other's’ lives, but we really don’t mind having you here.” he smiled tiredly. He went back to looking at the screen, struggling to keep his eyes open, but eager for the time to get to know Sammy better. He tried asking questions about the game, listening as she explained the mechanics and tried to keep up. Before long, he had drifted to sleep, his head lolled to the side and leaning gently against Sammy’s folded knee as he was propped on the floor against the end of the bed.

“So yeah, I’m effectively playing as Japanese criminals, but I can take them disco dancing and to karaoke,” Sammy giggled before looking down and noticing Sam’s lolled head, “Uh…Sam?” **  
**

He didn’t respond and she bit her lip in guilt, “Uh oh…have I bored him to death?” She slowly leaned forward to catch a glimpse of his face, a small smile tugging at her lips, “Damn you are one… _fine_  looking man…” she whispered to herself, tucking some of his stray hairs to one side, “I’ll let him sleep…”

A knock on the open door brought her attention to Dean, smirking slightly at the scene before him, “Uh, Shannon told me to tell you dinner is done.” he offered, walking in the room and seeing Sam passed out, “When did he fall asleep?” he asked quietly.

“I dunno,” she shrugged with a light laugh. “About…ten minutes ago maybe? I didn’t notice at first.”

Dean nodded, his eyes on Sam, “Go get some food. I’ll sort him out.” he smiled.

She nodded, delicately scooting off the bed and leaving the room, she suspected Dean wasn’t going to be as…quiet.

Dean listened as Sammy made her way down the hall. When her footsteps could no longer be heard, he smirked to himself, pulling out his phone and selecting a song, making sure the volume was full blast. He hit play, the immediate sounds of screaming guitar and wild drums coming to life, causing Sam to jerk away with a start, panicked eyes searching the room before meeting Dean’s laughing face, “Jerk.” Sam grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes and lifting to sit on the end of the bed with a huff.

“Bitch,” Dean wheezed with laughter, “I thought I’d give you a nice sweet lullaby!”

“Must’ve fell asleep,” Sam yawned, “Didn’t mean to…” he said, getting to his feet. “Where’s Sammy?”

“Kitchen, c’mon food’s ready,” Dean beckoned, heading for the doorway, “Then maybe you should catch some proper Zs.”

“You’re not lookin’ so hot yourself,” Sam scoffed, stumbling into the kitchen after Dean, the smell of the food making him realize how hungry he was. His eyes landed on Sammy and he offered her a sheepish grin, a slight blush flushing his skin as he moved to sit beside her at the table, “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Oh shush,” she giggled, “It’s okay for you to be a sleepy head after pulling an all-nighter. Trust me,  _been there_.” She shook her head like she was lost in a horrible memory for a moment, “Man…sleep is so underrated.”

“Dig in,” Shannon said, setting the food on the table and taking the available seat beside Dean.

“Looks amazing if I do say so myself,” Dean smiled smugly at the platters of food.

“Well, I mean, what would I have done without you there to…cut the potatoes.” Shannon joked.

“Hey, I peeled them too!” Dean protested. **  
**

“Whoa there, slow down Dean,” Sammy joked sarcastically, “Carry on and you’ll be the next Gordon Ramsay.”

“I can cook!” Dean defended, “I just didn’t want to interfere with such fine cooking is all.” he shrugged, glaring at Sam’s smug expression.

“I’d wager you were more bothered about avoiding doing any research,” Sam raised an eyebrow, “You know, work? So we can actually try and stop this Daedra?”

“ _Daedra are real!?_ ” Sammy nearly spat her food out in excitement, “Not just a Skyrim thing!? I thought you said this was Demons?”

“Yeah,” Sam sighed out, “Apparently. But so far, most of my research has pointed to video game references, which is pretty frustrating, to be honest.”

“Hence the all-nighter…” Dean rubbed his eyes, “We’re finding nothing on these things.”

“Well…maybe they’re just like what they are in Skyrim?” Sammy countered, “They’re like Demon Demi-Gods and each ‘prince’ tends to have his own weakness if I remember right.”

“Do you know the Daedra’s name? If we knew what we were dealing with…” Shannon offered, looking between the brothers.

“Cas said he’s called Hermaeus Mora,” Dean revealed, shrugging, “I doubt a game is going to have legit lore in there though.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Shannon countered, “Most video games of that nature involve a script and detailed storyline. Writers tend to do insane amounts of research just to make a story. I could tell you what I remember if it helps? It may mean nothing, but it could be something…” she shrugged.

The boys shared a look of doubt, “Well…” Dean sighed, “Might as well, it’s not like we have much else to go on.”

“Well,” Shannon sighed, gathering her thoughts, “Hermaeus Mora is a Daedric Prince, associated with being the Keeper of Knowledge. He had a book, called the Oghma Infinium, and another book, based off of that called the Mysterium Xarxes.” she shrugged, “I don’t think they could be killed in the game, per se, but completing quests for them seemed to placate them.”

“I thought  _I_ was supposed to be the gaming nerd?” Sammy looked at Shannon wide-eyed, “How the hell you remember all that?”

“Well, still not much to go on,” Dean grumbled, “We want to gank him, not make friends or do jobs for him.”

“In the game, you had to collect one soul of each kind of race and offer them to him, in which he gave you his book of knowledge in return and disappeared from the affairs of mortals.” she shrugged, “What? I really like Elder Scrolls!”

“If it was  _Yakuza_  I’d have owned this…” Sammy folded her arms with a slight pout. **  
**

“A soul from each race?” Sam thought aloud, “I guess in the game it meant like, Argonian, Khajiit, etcetera. We only really have the human race, in reality, so…we just give him a soul? No, it doesn’t work.”

“I’ll admit, I don’t really know much about all this  _paranormal_  stuff you guys get into here. But from what you’ve told me, I know there are Angels, Demons, Vampires, and so on. Maybe…maybe species suffices for a race?” she shook her head, doubting her words, “Regardless, it wouldn’t kill him, which is what you’re aiming to do. I would guess only a signature weapon from another Daedra would probably be lethal to their kind.” she giggled nervously, “Not that I know what I’m talking about or anything.” she added in a mumble.

“Ooo!” Sammy jolted in her seat, “ Like, Azura’s Star o-or Dawnbreaker, they were some  _badass_ weapons in the game. If Daedra are legit, maybe the weapons are too? Hell, this place is so damn big and full of stuff, you may have one of them  _here_  for all we know.”

“Dawnbreaker!” Shannon gasped, “Uh…Mora appeared as a fog of darkness with tentacles, right? So Dawnbreaker was a sword of light…something like that could work.” Shannon said excitedly, grinning at Sammy, “This is fun.”

“It is!” Sammy agreed with a beaming smile, “And you guys said we couldn’t help with research,” she scoffed sarcastically, “We just solved this for you!”

“Calm down, Cocky,” Sam smirked at Sammy, “This is all  _video game_  lore, for one. We don’t even know if any of this is accurate, let alone if these…ideas of yours will even work. Dean and I should look into it more, cross reference it with whatever Cas may have found.” he said, nodding at Dean for support.

“He’s got a point,” Dean agreed, “Maybe all you two have done is proven yourself to a pair of  _huge_ nerds,” he laughed.

“Says the man with  _endless_  Marvel quotes while making dinner.” Shannon teased in return.

“Oh c’mon, those films are good!” Dean defended, raising his hand and chuckling, “And let’s face it,  _I_  would be a better Captain America.”

“Nah, you’re more a Red Hood type.” Shannon winked at him.

“Honey,” Sammy rolled her eyes at Shannon, “That’s DC.”

“All the shit Dean gives me for apparently being a nerd,” Sam shook his head with a laugh, “And you’re  _all_  proving yourselves to be a hell of a lot worse than I am.”

“We wear our nerdiness with pride, Sam,” Shannon held her head high, “Never deny who you are or what you love, for anyone.” she smiled proudly.

“Speaking of denying love,” Sammy pushed her empty plate forward and got to her feet, “I’m denying my beautiful Yakuza boys right now, so… _later_!”

“And I’m denying my need for sleep,” Sam yawned, rising from the table as well, “I’ll catch you for research after I get a few hours,” Sam added to Dean, heading for bed. **  
**

“Just go watch Sammy on her game again,” Dean retorted, “You’ll be out like a light in no time!”

“Jackass!” Sammy’s voice echoed from the hallway, “I heard that!”

“Well, at least everything is light-hearted and friendly,” Shannon chuckled, cleaning the dishes from the table, “You should get some sleep too.” she nodded at Dean.

“I could help with the dishes first?” Dean offered, smiling softly at her.

“ _I’m_  supposed to be the one helping  _you_  out for saving our asses,” she laughed, “It’s fine, I got this. Seriously. Go get some sleep.”

“Okay, okay,” Dean relented, “Just promise me you’re gonna stop and put your feet up after okay? You’ve been none stop all day.”

“Deal.” she smiled at him, turning her attention back to cleaning.

* * *

The Bunker was quiet, save for the noise of over the top techno fighting music echoing from Sammy’s room. She tapped idly on the controller, her character already tanked up so hard she was taking down enemies almost too easily.

“Should have gone for a higher difficulty….” she mumbled, “It was whooping my ass earlier though!”

She went quiet, noticing she was talking to herself again. Her mind was racing, all that talk of Daedra from before was still plaguing her brain. With a tut, she tapped again on the controller, turning the PS4 off and striding out of the room in search of the Library.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself as she starting scanning the shelves and skim reading the book titles, “Daedra, Dawnbreaker, research…I can be helpful. Just need the right kind of books…”

Her eyes scanned over the various titles, growing wide as some of the topics surprised, confused, or intrigued her. As much as she wanted to read every single book, she made herself focus on the task at hand. She glanced at the table behind her, seeing the many books and files the brothers had been reading scattered over its surface. She shrugged, making her way to the table and looking over the first books she came to, finding that these books seemed to focus on a much different topic. Curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled out a chair, opening one of the books to a bookmarked page and began reading.

“These are  _definitely_  not books about Demons,” she mumbled with a furrowed brow, “Fucking Cupids? I thought Cupid was just one guy? Nevermind a race of… _real_  things.”

Flicking some more pages, she snapped the book closed, shaking her head in confusion before turning her attention to a discarded notepad.

“Soulmates?” she raised an eyebrow at the untidy scrawl of handwriting, “The fuck has this got to do with  _anything_?” **  
**

As she perused the hastily scrawled notes, her eyes locked on several items that made her brows rise:

_Soulmates_

S → D

S → S

_Cupid Marks_

_Awareness increases connection_

She frowned, wondering what it all meant. She flipped a few pages of the notes, trying to find anything relating to Mora and what they knew about the case, but found nothing. She tossed the notebook aside, shaking her head and once again demanding herself to focus on the task she originally set out to research.

“Sammy?” Dean’s voice came from the doorway, making her jump in her seat.

“Dean!” she squeaked, “Damn don’t creep up on me like that!”

“What are you doing?” he asked, approaching her slowly, his eyes flitting to the books and files surrounding her as he swallowed thickly.

“Well, my brain wouldn’t switch off from the whole Mora thing, so I thought I’d come and see if I could find anything,” she answered innocently, “Not that I can find much, just a load of notes about  _Cupid Marks_? Is that an old case you were on or something?”

Dean’s eyes went slightly wide as he walked to the table, gathering up the books and papers and beginning to put them away, “Uh, yeah, yeah,” Dean mumbled, “Just some… _thing_  that uh, Cas had mentioned.” he smiled fakely at her, focusing on cleaning up their research mess.

Sammy watched him with a furrowed brow, “Uh…you okay? I haven’t pissed you off have I?”

“What?” Dean stopped his actions momentarily, his eyes flitting over her, “Um, no, no not really. Just um…Sam…he uh, doesn’t really like people getting into his research, you know?” he chuckled nervously with a shrug, “Likes things just a certain way, and…” he sighed, “and all that.” he flashed a smile. “I was about to make some coffee if you’re interested?”

“I’ll never say no to coffee,” Sammy smiled, a spring back in her step as she turned her attention back to the bookshelves, “I  _will_  find something in these books if its the last thing I do.”

“You know, you really don’t have to do all of that.” Dean said, pouring her a cup and handing it to her, “I mean, you can feel free to read the lore if you’d like. But Sam and I…we really got this handled.”

“Hey, I had Sam freaking accidentally drift off to sleep in my own room,” Sammy shook her head, “You two overwork yourselves, pulling all-nighters and shit. You’ll never work at full pelt if you’re half asleep all the damn time, accept some help once and a while before you both burn out.”

Dean smiled warmly at her as he sat at the table, “We’re used to it, really. Sam and I…we’ve been doing this our whole lives. To be honest, I’m not sure we’d know how to function if we weren’t pulling all-nighters and running on fumes.” he laughed. **  
**

“Shannon and I used to pull all-nighters a lot…” Sammy mumbled, “Looking at fucking  _bills_  and trying to work out how we’ll survive into the next month. Problem with that was, the second one of us got a job interview or something we’d be so zombified that they’d never hire us in a million years…ha, maybe I shouldn’t try and advise on how to do your sleeping patterns.”

“I know it seems odd, but we’re pretty used to this whole sort of thing. Honestly. We just want you two to be safe and as far away from all this crap as possible. It’s dangerous, you know?”

“Well,  _you_  were the one who said this is the safest place to be,” she smirked, poking her tongue between her teeth, “So c’mon, what’s the harm in me just  _trying_  to help for half an hour huh?”

“You and Shannon, you’re both pretty stubborn, aren’t you?” Dean smirked. “It’s…complicated.” he sighed, running a hand through his hair, “This life…it’s not easy. It’s bloody and heartbreaking and it’s bad enough we have to live it. We don’t want to pull anyone down with us.” he grumbled.

“Dean,” she narrowed her eyes at him, “There’s a difference between being stubborn and being realistic. You can’t drag us down when we’re already at the bottom.  _Demons_  burnt out freaking house down, so it’s either be here and help, or be out on the streets and  _probably_  get killed. Take your pick Deano!”

Dean sighed, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got pulled into all of this. I’m sorry for what happened to your home. I’m sorry you have to hide out here for your own safety. I’m sorry that we’re…” he stopped himself, holding on to his apology for something that was out of his control. “I’m just…sorry.” he shrugged, unable to meet her eyes.

“You’re acting like it’s your fault we got Demons on our tails,” Sammy laughed, pulling a random book out and flipping the pages, “So, stop apologizing all right?  _Damn_.”

“Maybe…maybe it is our fault,” Dean mumbled under his breath. “I’ll leave you to your reading,” he said, walking back to his room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas presses Dean on the importance of the Winchester bloodline.

“Dean,” Cas said, appearing in Dean’s room suddenly, “I came to see if you found out more about Mora.”

“Cas!” Dean yelled, “What did I tell you about doing that! J-just  _knock_ o-or ring ahead or something!  _Fuck_!”

“Dean, we don’t have time for this. Mora is increasing his ranks and more people are losing their souls. What have you learned?” Cas pressed, rolling his eyes in frustration.

“Honestly?” Dean’s shoulders slumped, “We got nothing man, only that Mora and his buddies are also characters in a damn  _game_. Find me a fictional sword called Dawnbreaker and we may stand a vague chance provided it’s not bullcrap.”

“I don’t understand. Why would I look for a fictional weapon?” Cas tilted his head in confusion.

“Well, that’s  _exactly_ my point Cas,” Dean growled, “We got  _nothing_ , and this Mora is no doubt soon gonna be kicking down the door.”

Cas sighed, nodding his understanding, before perking up, “Have you talked to Sam about the Soulmate marks?”

Dean shot the Angel a glare and pursed his lips, “Yes. Sam knows everything, safe to say we don’t even know where to start with that one.”

“I thought that you were well versed in acquiring women, Dean? I’m not sure how Shannon is any different…”

“She’s  _completely_ different Cas,” Dean rubbed his forehead, “We’re not talking some drunk chick in a bar, someone I can pretend to be a damn astronaut and spend my last night on earth with! This is…well it’s my  _soulmate_! A-and she’s funny, and  _hot_ and caring a-and, just a freaking awesome person to be around… Someone I’m supposed to spend my future with and I…” Dean stopped his ramblings, “I can’t get her out of my damn mind. So yeah, she’s different all right.”

“That seems like it would make it easier, from what I understand. If you’d like, I can see if maybe Rowena can do a spell to maybe make it easier for you to bond with Shannon. Has Sam at least approached Sammy on the topic?”

“ _No spells!_ ” Dean demanded, “And as far as I’m aware, no. He’s just as damn freaked by it all as I am. We’re not supposed to know this, and it’s fucking with my head.  _Both_ of our heads. Then you got Mora honing in cause he wants to stop this precious fucking bloodline.”

“The Winchester bloodline is important and powerful,” Cas explained, as if talking to a child, “ _Any_ adversary would want to stop it, kill one or all of you, to prevent the line from continuing. If there are no more Winchesters, I’m afraid there will be no one who could step into your places to do what you do.” Cas grew stern with his next words, “Which is exactly why it is so important that you and Sam make this happen, sooner rather than later.”

“Cas,” Dean said lowly, his blood boiling, “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. I couldn’t give two shiny fucks about this god damn bloodline. I’m more bothered about the fact that there’s a perfectly awesome chick in this bunker who’s a target simply because I exist and some higher power has decided she’s my soulmate. She deserves better, hell they both do. This is you and your fucking angel dick brothers dictating how we should live our lives  _again_.”

“I understand that you are upset. But I should warn you, Dean. Heaven is  _allowing_ this to run its course. But I’m afraid, with the impending threats to the line and you and your brother’s insistent stubbornness, Heaven may take action to make it happen one way or another.”

“If it’s so damn important, why don’t  _you_ all get off your feathery asses and gank Mora!”

“Because of you and Sam!” Cas roared back at him in anger, “Because if they stop the impending threats, then you’d have no  _reason_ to follow through on the Bond. As long as the threats remain, you’ll be forced to either kill every threat that comes along or complete the Bond…probably both.” Cas huffed.

“Okay, Sam and I will go take on Mora not knowing how to gank him, get killed and then your bloodline goes to shit anyway. Great plan,” Dean snarled, folding his arms, “Cause I’m telling you now, the day Mora does come knocking, I will go for him, he’s not getting anywhere near Shannon, I’ll die first.”

“Heaven only needs one Winchester to continue the line, Dean.” Cas glared at him, “A Winchester child, born of the Bond, is Heaven’s highest priority at the moment. I’ve told you all of this because of our friendship, Dean. But you and your brother’s stubbornness will end up costing lives. Even many more when there are no more Winchesters to save the world.” Cas glared at him in silence, huffing a breath before disappearing.

Dean stood staring at the space Cas was moments ago, a hard vein throbbing in his temple. He could feel his hands shaking and a hot sweat forming on his brow. He couldn’t see a positive end to all this. They couldn’t stop Mora, they didn’t know how, and as each moment passed he was no doubt getting closer to the girls. Closer to Shannon. All he could see was her smile in his mind, hear her laugh in his ears…

“SON OF A BITCH!” he roared, throwing his fist into the wall and kicking his feet hard into the leg of a nearby table, nearly taking the leg straight off.

That was when his heart sunk, as a familiar squeak of fear echoed from the other side of the door.

“Sammy!” he yelled, tearing the door open, but no-one was there. Just the sound of running steps down the hall.

Dean took off toward the sound of fading footsteps, catching up to Sammy as she reached her room. He grabbed her by the arm, tugging her down the hall without stopping, back towards the Library where they could speak in private. He flung her into a chair, careful not to actually hurt her, as he let out a long sigh, clenching his eyes shut before looking at her once more.

“How much did you hear?” he asked, his tone clipped and barely contained.

She stared up at him with wide, trembling eyes. Her jaw frozen closed, and her knuckles white from gripping onto the chair’s armrest. Dean was fucking terrifying.

Dean’s eyes traveled over Sammy, taking in her trembling and frightened form. He let out a sigh, his features softening as he crouched before her, his hand laying gently on one of hers, “Sammy, please. I-I need to know what you heard.” he breathed out.

She gulped down the lump in her throat, daring to look back into his eyes, “I-I was coming to check on you cause you left so suddenly,” she murmured, “Then I heard you freak out at Cas appearing again…so…” her words trailed as her throat clogged up again.

Dean let out a long sigh, dropping his head as he realized she had heard everything. He stood, wiping a hand over his mouth as he gazed off at nothing. “So…” he looked down at her again, “I’m guessing you have a lot of questions?” he nodded at her, feeling defeated. “I have to tell Sam, you know that. And I’ll answer your questions if you want. But…” he crouched down in front of her again, his eyes pleading, “Please…please don’t mention any of this to Shannon. Not yet. I’m not…I can’t…”

“I tell Shannon  _everything_ ,” Sammy replied honestly, “So I can’t promise that. As for questions? Just one…”

Dean struggled to contain his trembling hands and lip as he felt like his whole world was crashing down. “What’s that?”

“Did you know this whole time?” she asked seriously, “When you decided back at that motel to bring us back here, did you know then?”

“No.” Dean said in all seriousness, rising to go to the side cart and pour himself a stiff drink, “No, we didn’t know. Honestly, we were just trying to help you out, even if we did feel some sort of…I don’t know, pull I guess?” he sighed, downing his drink and pouring another before moving to sit in the chair in front of her, “After Cas healed you both, he explained the marks and what it all meant and we started researching…”

“S and D…” she mumbled, thinking back on the note she saw, “S and S…you guys pulled an all-nighter cause you were freaking out.”

“We weren’t just _freaking out_ , Sammy,” Dean sighed, “We…we were trying to see if there was some way to remove the marks or avoid this situation.” he dropped his head into his hands, “Our lives are dangerous, and the people we care about get hurt.” he looked up at her, his eyes wet with unshed tears, “Knowing about the marks only intensifies the connection, the feelings, and we just…we didn’t want this for you.”

She sighed, head dropping as she processed the all new information. She couldn’t deny how much sense it all made. How at ease she felt with Sam from that very first moment they spoke, even to the point where she felt she could tease him despite barely knowing him. How warm his smile made her felt even though he was practically a stranger.

“Fucking… _damn_ …” she sighed, glancing at the glass in Dean’s hand, “You got enough to share?”

Dean gave her a small but genuine smile as he nodded, fixing her a glass and refilling his own, handing it to her before retaking his seat. “I know it’s a lot, on top of everything else. But I swear, we’re gonna find a way to fix this. You shouldn’t be forced into something just because some asshat Angels thought it was a good idea.” he dropped his head and muttered against the rim of his glass, “No one deserves to be stuck with me.”

She glared at him from the rim of her glass before she drained the contents in one gulp, “I stand by what I said Dean, you guys…overwork yourselves,” she got to her feet, turning back to the bookshelves and scanning them again, “We need to work out how to take this fucker down, I’m not having Sam, or  _you_ , die in our fucking names.”

Dean couldn’t fight the wide smile that appeared on his face at her stubborn insistence, “And…Shannon?” he asked, joining her side and pulling a couple relative books, handing one to her.

“Well, you’re going to tell her,” she answered with a shrug, “It’s not fair to keep it from her, but it should come from you. Do…do you want to know how I really feel right now?”

“Yeah,” he answered in a breath, his full attention on her.

“I just had the mother of all bombshells dropped on me. Over the last few days, I found out Demons and monsters were real, that I got some freaking Daedric demigod on my ass, and that practically all of it is completely out of any of our control…” she listed with a sigh, before laughing lightly, “But the fact is, if I woke up tomorrow and I was back in mine and Shannon’s bed back at the house, and none of this had happened…. I genuinely think I’d be disappointed.”

“You know,” Dean smirked, “Knowing about the marks only makes the connection between soulmates stronger. Now that you know, it’ll be pretty impossible to resist.” he turned back to the book, “Trust me.”

* * *

  
Dean knocked on Sam’s door, before entering his room and shutting the door behind him. Sam looked at him questioningly as Dean plopped down on the edge of his bed, “We need to talk.” Dean sighed out, “And you’re not gonna like it.”

“That bodes well,” Sam grunted, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and letting the world around him come into focus, “What’s going on?”

Dean took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Sam about the conversations with Cas and Sammy and all that transpired. Once done, he looked to Sam, a crestfallen look on his face as he waited for Sam’s response.

“She knows…” Sam eventually muttered after a long silence, “A-and, she really said all that? She didn’t bolt for the door? She’s… she’s  _insane_.”

“Either that or she has really low standards.” Dean teased with a chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah  _hilarious_ ,” Sam bit back, raking a hand through his hair, “I mean, what the fuck do I do now? How am I even supposed to look at her?”

“Well,” Dean said, slapping Sam on the knee as he stood from the bed, “I guess I’ll let you know, ‘cause I have someone else to fill in now.” he sighed.

“You’re really going to go tell Shannon?” Sam questioned, “What if she freaks?”

“If I don’t tell her, Sammy will. And Sammy seems to think, for whatever reason, that it’d be better coming from me. So…what choice do I have, really?”

“She’s really got you backed into a corner there,” Sam shook his head with a small laugh, “Wow…”

“Yeah, well…good luck with that one.” Dean laughed as he left Sam’s room, making his way towards Shannon’s room.

* * *

  
Dean stood outside Shannon’s door, taking several deep breaths with his eyes closed, hand resting on the handle as he tried to gather his courage for the inevitable conversation he was about to face.

With a deep breath, he knocked first. He could feel his palms already becoming sweaty which made him internally curse himself. Shit was about to get real.

“Come in,” Shannon chimed from the other side of the door, watching as Dean entered the room and closed the door behind him, looking as if the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders, “Everything okay?” she asked cautiously.

“Hey,” he said, a soft smile automatically forming at the sight of her, “Everything’s…uh..-” he scratched the back of his head, his heart starting to thud in his chest, “- Are you okay to talk right now? There are…some  _developments_ you could say.”

“Oh?” she asked, sitting up straighter, her back leaning against the headboard of the bed, “Must be pretty bad, judging your reaction.” she chuckled humorlessly.

“W-well,” Dean stammered, “It’s about Mora…sort of…I guess. I-I…” he stopped and sighed, “I haven’t planned this out in my head yet, Sammy said I should come talk to you though, so here I am.”

“Dean, sit down and spit it out. You’re making me nervous.” she smiled at him.

“Right,” he nodded with a nervous chuckle, “Sorry, it’s just…I’m a hundred percent sure you’re not going to like what I’m gonna say.”

“Well, whether or not I like it doesn’t change the fact that it’s something I apparently need to know. So…out with it.”

He nodded again, sitting on the edge of the bed with a long sigh, “Okay, so… here’s the deal. Sam and I hadn’t exactly given you guys the full scoop…”

He explained everything. The Cupid Marks, what that meant, why Mora was on their tails and threw in some snide remarks about Heaven’s insistence combined with their unwillingness to assist. He watched Shannon’s face, trying to gauge her reaction, but she sat silently throughout until he got her all up to date.

“Wow,” she breathed out, looking down at her hands in her lap, “wow.” She was silently contemplating all she had just learned before meeting Dean’s hesitant eyes once more, “So…what do we do?” she finally asked, once again submitting to Dean’s guidance, her eyes conveying the absolute trust she had in him.

“Uh..” Dean’s eyes widened slightly, expecting a bigger reaction. Both girls were seemingly taking it all in their stride based on what he’d seen from them both, “Well…Sammy is in the Library, she seems pretty determined to help us with Mora, so I guess that’s the focus. Everything else…” his voice trailed to silence and he shrugged, “I- I don’t know.”

“Have you considered maybe finding a way to, I don’t know, maybe remove the marks or a way to reverse Heaven’s decision? I mean, I know this must all be a terrible inconvenience. I wouldn’t want to be forced into something and especially with someone like me.” she laughed, “Have you done any research on that? Maybe I could help?”

“Someone like  _you_?” he looked at her like he was offended, “Sweetheart, to have you as a soulmate is like winning the freaking lottery. I know for a fact I don’t deserve it. It’s you that’s the unlucky one. The life Sam and I have…it’s dangerous and anyone we get close to have a tendency to get hurt or…worse…” his jaw clenched as his mind raced with too many awful memories, “We did look into the Marks, if there was anything we could do, I don’t want you getting caught up in this and I  _definitely_ don’t want Mora to find you. _Either of you_ … but you especially…”

“Kind of weird, this whole  _Soulmate_ thing. Sounds like something out of a cheesy romance fiction.” she laughed, flashing him a bashful glance. “So…if we can’t  _change_ it…do we just…go with it?” she asked, a bit scared as her heart fluttered in her chest at the idea that this strong, warrior-like, beautiful man could be intended solely for her.

“We do whatever we want,” Dean answered, feeling a pang in his heart, he knew what he wanted to do, but he couldn’t say it, “We’re soulmates, but…I don’t  _expect_ anything from you if that’s what you’re thinking. You’re…you’re you, and I want you to be happy.”

“Well, I can’t say I haven’t felt  _drawn_ to you in some way since we met. I guess that’s just the marks doing their thing.” she dropped her head, wishing it was different.

“Knowing about the connection makes it stronger,” Dean admitted, “But…when I first met you, I had no idea about any of this and…” he laughed nervously, “I knew instantly you were an amazing person and I all I wanted was to get to know you.”

“This whole thing is a confusing mess, to be honest.” she said, placing a hand over his, “But I feel better knowing you’ve got my back in all of this…marks or not.”

He could feel the hairs on his arms stand on end in excitement at her touch, “Always got your back, Sweetheart,” he smiled warmly.

“Well,” she said, rising from the bed, “What do you say we go help Sammy with that research, huh?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dean nodded, also rising to his feet and heading for the door, holding it open, “After you.”

* * *

  
Sam wandered into the Library, coffee in hand, to find Dean, Shannon, and Sammy all studiously researching and taking notes. No one had noticed his entry into the room and he took the opportunity to observe in silence. His eyes wandered to Dean and Shannon, sitting beside one another, their noses buried in books as they read. Sam briefly wondered if Dean had even talked to Shannon like he said he would. He doubted it. Dean would most likely drag this out as long as possible, he always did.

Sam’s eyes drifted to Sammy then, watching as she rose from the table and walked to the bookshelf behind her, replacing the book she had just been reading and retrieving another, sitting back at the table with a long sigh as she opened its cover and began searching for the elusive information. Sam smiled to himself, the sight of the one person in all existence truly meant for him.

When he first thought about it, he was slightly heartbroken, wondering how or why Jess or any of the other women he had truly loved hadn’t been his Soulmate. In thinking about Sammy, however, he was sure he understood. She was different. She didn’t look like the rest of them, she didn’t act or think like the rest of them. She was stubborn and manic and, in a way, almost the exact opposite of him in nearly every way. But that was part of the charm and draw of her. He felt, in some way, that she completed him. That she was a reflection of the parts of himself that he always felt were missing and he couldn’t get in touch with. She was his Soulmate because she completed him. That thought alone made his heart swell in a way he’d never experienced before.

As her eyes lifted from her book and scanned the room, landing on him at the far end, a warm and welcoming smile graced her lips. Sam’s feet moved towards her of their own accord and he felt his heart beating slightly faster with every step that he took in her direction.

“Hey,” she greeted him when he reached the table, “Um…you okay?” she asked tentatively, not knowing how he felt at everybody being clued in.

“I should be asking  _you_ that,” he smiled, his shoulders shaking with a light chuckle, “I mean, Dean said he talked to you…” Sam added, ducking his head slightly, expecting the worst. He chanced a glance across the table, noticing Dean and Shannon both  _pretending_ not to focus on him and Sammy.

“Hmm…” she pursed her lips in thought before firing him a smirk, “Well, I’ve had  _worse_ days,” she teased with a wink, “It is what it is, I’m hardly gonna  _complain_. You’re the poor sod in this situation.” She chuckled, flicking the pages of her book.

“For what it’s worth, I consider myself lucky for all of this.” he tried to flirt, smirking at her.

“Oh, snap,” Shannon whispered, barely audible as she kept her eyes focused on the pages in front of her.

“Psssht!” she scoffed sarcastically, cheeks turning an instant shade of red, she giggled like a damn schoolgirl before rolling her shoulders and trying to act cool (and failing), “Oh…sh-shut up. You’re just…b-being nice and…shit.” Her eyes caught the peeking glances of Shannon and Dean, “ _Oh!_  Is this entertaining you!?”

“So much!” Shannon laughed, nearly choking on her words. “Don’t mind me! Please…continue,” she added with a lewd grin.

“ _HA HA HA!_ ” Sammy fake laughed, adopting a high pitch screech before her face suddenly dropped, “Do some work already instead of eye-fucking each other.”

“Excuuuuuuse me, but I was just sitting here reading this damn book, trying to get some research done.” Shannon scoffed, “Don’t be mad at me ‘cause I’m all up in your little soap opera.”

Dean laughed along at the antics, stopping short with wide eyes as Sam spoke, “Did you even talk to Shannon about everything? ‘Cause it looks to me like you all are a bit too comfortable to have discussed such things.” Sam accused.

“I have actually!” Dean defended, “If your idea of comfortable is scavenging through every damn book in this place and finding _jack shit_ , then you got problems.” The girls both sighed, Sammy snapping her book closed and looking completely defeated as Dean continued, “We’re just focusing on Mora, we’ve all got the same goal and reasons.”

“Yeah,” Sammy nodded, “The Daedric bitch went and made things personal.”

“Maybe what we’re looking for just isn’t in this place?” Shannon shrugged, “Maybe we need to look at other resources or books that aren’t in this Library?”

Sam pulled out his laptop, “I’ll run Charlie’s search program. See if it comes up with anything matching keywords related to our search and cross-reference that with the Men of Letters archives.” he said, typing away at the keyboard, “It’ll probably take a while to run the algorithms.” he sighed, shrugging.

“Sounds  _fancy_ ,” Sammy leaned and peered at the laptop screen, “It will just find a ton of Skyrim shit though. Guarantee it.” She picked up a mug on the table near her, her face dropped slightly, “Out of ‘go juice’…need  _caffeeeeine_! Anyone else need a top up?”

“Ooh, me!” Shannon said, jumping up eagerly from her chair, “You guys want us to bring you some too?”

“I think I could do with something stronger,” Dean chuckled, rubbing his eyes, “ _Words_ are just starting to mingle into nonsense.”

“I honestly kind of feel bad  _not_ researching while all of this is going on.” Shannon mumbled, “Buuuut…you’re right. I’m going cross-eyed.”

“Huh…” Sammy folded her arms, before smirking, “I could…make them  _Irish_ coffees? Or we can just go all out and head straight for the beer and whiskey.” Her eyes illuminated in want.

“Now  _that_ sounds like an excellent idea!” Dean exclaimed, rising from his seat and stretching, “Burgers and beer…whaddaya say Sammy?” Dean said, smiling at his brother.

“Yes!!!” Sammy squeaked excitedly, then realized he was talking to the other Winchester, “Oh  _that_ Sammy…yeah that’s not gonna get confusing at all. Maybe I need a code name…”

“Agenda one for the night, find  _Miss_ Sammy a nickname.” Dean winked.

“Something like…  _Asskicker_ , o-or  _Phoenix_! I did effectively rise from the ashes,” she grinned like an idiot, “That’ll work!”

“You can’t give  _yourself_ a nickname,” Dean argued, “It doesn’t work like that.”

“He’s right.” Sam added with a sheepish look at Sammy, “Nicknames just kind of come from situations and are given by others, often ones you’re not too keen on.” he shrugged apologetically.

“Oh,  _whatever_!” She pouted and folded her arms, “If I get a lame ass nickname-” she pointed at each of them individually in turn, “I swear I will end you. But right now, beer o’clock!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A much needed night out takes a turn for the worst, while certain people are searching for a way to remove the Marks.

After dinner and several rounds of beers, the group found themselves huddled around one of the pool tables in the back of the bar, at Dean’s insistence. Shannon had opted to sit at a table beside them as Sam and Dean and Sammy took turns at their shots, Sam providing pointers at every chance to help improve Sammy’s game.

“I can play pool, Sam!” Sammy protested with a giggle, “Damn my parents ran a bar for 14 years, I had my own personal table!”

The beer was working its magic, making her extra giggly and… sensitive. Each time Sam would lean over from behind to help her guide the shot, she could feel his hair tickling her cheek, his breath on her shoulder and it was making her head  _go places_.

“You know what, if I can’t be  _trusted_ ,” she narrowed her eyes at him with a sarcastic smirk, “Then you boys just play.”

“I-I didn’t mean to offend you…” Sam stuttered, suddenly feeling bad for trying to help.

“Chill out,  _Snarky_.” Dean snorted, “He’s just trying to help. Clearly, 14 years didn’t do as much good as it should’ve.” he chuckled teasingly.

“ _Snarky_!?” she squealed in horror, “Hey! I’m just… _rusty_  that’s all. Not to mention a bit  _buzzed_.” She giggled, taking a swig from her bottle of beer, “Fine, how should I take the shot then Sam?”

Sam stepped close to Sammy, looking down at her as they were just a foot apart, “Don’t mind Dean, he can be an ass. I’m sorry if I was pushy or anything.” he said quietly to her, worried he had messed things up already.

“N-no,” she quickly backtracked, “You’re not pushy! I’m…a sore loser I guess,” she bit her lip and smiled sheepishly. Her eyes caught Shannon, watching with a devilish grin, “I don’t see you playing!”

“Because I suck at pool and have no interest in getting better.” she retaliated. Setting down her empty beer, she rose from her seat, “I’m going to the restroom.” she excused herself.

“Girl talk!” Sammy called after her, resting the pool cue on the side of the table and noticing the boy’s puzzled expressions, “Girls go to the bathroom in groups, c’ mon it’s like the law!”

She giggled and quickly jogged to catch up to Shannon.

“I’m perfectly capable of urinating on my own.” Shannon glared teasingly at Sammy as she shut the stall door behind her. “So,” she spoke to Sammy in the neighboring stall, “You and Sam, huh?”

“You and  _Dean_ ,” Sammy countered, a broad smile growing on her face, “How are you holding up with all…well  _this_?”

“Honestly, kind of terrified and overwhelmed.” she sighed, “But being around Dean just somehow…calms me I guess? Not to mention the fact that I wish I could just be locked in a room with him and talk for hours in between heated make-out sessions.” she laughed, “I mean, have you  _seen_  those lips?” she sighed dreamily.

“No offense but, my eyes have been too busy ogling the other Winchester,” Sammy laughed, biting her bottom lip and breathing in sharply, “I feel you girl. My hands have never itched so hard to just… _explore_  if you know what I mean.”

Shannon exited the stall and headed for the sink, “Yeah but, do you wonder if like, all of this would even be a thing if it wasn’t for the whole…mark thing? Like would they even really want us?”

With a long sigh, Sammy appeared from the stall and joined Shannon at the sink. She watched herself in the reflection of the mirror with a furrowed brow. “I…I don’t know,” she shook the water from her hands, “But I gotta admit, it’s a thought I can’t shake.”

“I guess we’ll never know for sure if it’s all really… _real_  or not.” Shannon pouted, studying her reflection. “I am grateful to have met them though, regardless. Marks or not, they saved us, before they even knew. So…that’s gotta count for  _something_ , right?”

“Oh yeah, I’m hella grateful to not be dead right now,” Sammy tittered, throwing Shannon a wink to indicate her joke, “Well, all I know is that it certainly  _feels_  real. Maybe that’s all that should really matter.”

“I guess,” Shannon shrugged, holding the door open for Sammy as they exited the restroom. As the talked and giggled together on their way back to the brothers, they were stopped abruptly by three men, drinks in hand, smiling down at them.

“Well, good evening, Ladies,” one of the men said, his face handsome and eyes bright blue, a mischievous smirk on his face, “Could we buy you a drink?”

“Uh,” Sammy smiled awkwardly, “Thanks but we’re covered,” she pointed towards the pool table where the boys stood talking amongst themselves.

“Ah, don’t be like that. Your friends can keep each other company while we all have a few drinks, right?” Another of the trio said, the men crowding closer around the girls. Shannon’s eyes flitted towards the Winchesters, her eyes locking with Dean’s momentarily with panic before her attention was drawn back to one of the men as he ran his hand down her arm. She jerked back in surprise, pushing Sammy slightly behind her.

“I said we’re covered,” Sammy repeated, her voice growing sterner, but her heart thudding in a mild panic, “There are plenty other girls you could… _approach_.” She clutched the back of Shannon’s shirt instinctively.

“Thank you, but no,” Shannon said firmly, grabbing Sammy’s hand and trying to sidestep the men. As they began to pass, the one grabbed Shannon’s arm firmly, stopping them dead in their tracks.

“Let her go,” A voice growled, the girls turning to see Sam and Dean, standing tall and  _very_  pissed off.

“We’re just wanting to talk to the ladies that’s all,” the man sneered disgustingly, “It’s none of your concern.”

“They’re with us,” Dean tilted his head, shooting them a glare of warning, “So it concerns us plenty. Move on.”

“I think,” the man tugged on Shannon’s arms, pulling the girls behind him, his companions standing guard, “You should take a walk unless you’re looking for trouble.”

The brothers shared a look before they both started chuckling in mockery of the men.

“That’s really funny,” Dean pointed a finger at the man and grinned, “Last chance, move along or you’re gonna be in for a whole world of hurt.”

“Holy shit,” Sammy whispered quietly to Shannon, “S-should we do something?”

“We don’t want any trouble,” Shannon said, coming to stand in front of the man, backing towards Dean and pulling Sammy with her, “We’re with them. End of story.” she stated.

Sam pulled the girls away from the growing tension, placing the keys in Sammy’s hand, “Go wait at the car,” he whispered to the girls, pushing them towards the door and watching as they hurriedly obeyed. Sam cast a glance at Dean before looking back at the men, “We’re leaving. We don’t want a fight.”

“Dean!” Shannon’s voice could be heard from the entrance of the bar as two more men blocked their exit.

“Oh, did I fail to mention we have a few more friends?” the man grinned sadistically. As Sam and Dean quickly scanned the bar, they realized there was a large group of these men that had apparently come together. The brothers cursed under their breath.

“Okay, this is getting real…too fast,” Sammy grimaced, backing away from the door with Shannon. Her attention moved to the man behind the bar, ready to chastise him for allowing this shit to happen.

The barkeep was watching, quite intently actually. As soon as Sammy’s gaze met his, his shoulders shook with a chuckle and she recoiled as his eyes flitted to black.

“Shannon!” Sammy hissed to bring her attention to this.

“No!” Shannon recoiled in terror, remembering the people who attacked them at home, “D-demons?!” she shrieked.

At the word ‘demons’, Dean’s head shot to the girls, seeing their captors’ eyes were black. As he turned back to the men in front of them, their eyes too flashed.

“You really think we wouldn’t be watching? Following up on the Winchester’s whores?” the man spat. “Mora will surely reward us well for capturing all of you!”

Dean readied himself for an attack, pissed that they were caught off guard, and unarmed no less. He and Sam instinctively situated themselves back-to-back, surveying the room and taking count of at least seven opponents.

“Now, what do we have here?” an accented man broke the tense silence, his eyes flickering to Sam and Dean, “Squirrel…Moose.” he greeted with a smile.

“Crowley,” the main demon sneered in disdain, “You dare face off against Mora and his followers? You’re outmatched!”

“I brought a bit of backup,” Crowley smirked, his hands patting the empty air beside him as soft growls could be heard. “Sick ‘em,” he commanded.

The girls watched on, mouths agape as all they could see were their attackers flung around by a seemingly invisible force. Growls and snarls filled the air, accompanied by cries of agonizing pain.

“Holy shit!” Sammy squealed, watching on in horror while this Crowley guy seemed to just smile smugly. The bartender was also flung across the room. Prompting Sammy to tug on Shannon’s arm and run. They both dived and ducked for cover behind the bar.

Peeking over the top, they watched the chaos unfold. As bodies continued to fly, Sam and Dean also jumped to action, tackling some of the Demon’s themselves. It was bloody. It was pretty horrifying.

After the hellhounds had completed their task, the attacking demons all dead, the brothers turned to Crowley, “What are you doing here?” Dean demanded.

“Nice to see you too, Squirrel. And…you’re welcome.” Crowley responded.

“Cut the shit, what is going on?” Dean growled.

“Seems Mora has it out for you two and you’re  _intendeds_.” Crowley smirked, “I was merely…lending a hand.”

“You never do anything out of the  _kindness of your heart._ ” Sam countered.

“You are aware there is a war going on?! I may need your help in the future.”

“Of course!” Dean scoffed, looking around and not seeing the girls anywhere.

“I’ll be in touch,” Crowley said before disappearing.

“Son of a…” Dean grumbled under his breath, before taking a deep breath and turning to his brother, “You good?”

Sam panted for breath, nodding and scanning the room, “Sammy?” he called out, “Shannon?”

“Right here,” a faint squeak came from the bar, Sammy’s eyes popping up over the top, “A-are we good?”

“We’re good,” Sam answered, a smile of relief on his face.

“Shannon,” Sammy looked down to her friend, who sat on the floor frozen and silent, “Honey?”

Shannon sat on the floor, her back against the bar, knees to her chest, eyes squeezed shut as she held her head in her hands, “Not again, not again.” she whispered to herself repeatedly, the fear of the situation overtaking her.  
“Babygirl?” Sammy knelt down to meet Shannon’s face, “Hey, it’s okay they’re gone. Talk to me.”

She lifted her head to look at Sammy, tears streaking down her face, “It’s over?” she croaked.

“Yeah,” Sammy smiled softly, “It’s all good.”

“We need to go,” Sam instructed, his eyes flitting to the numerous bodies strewn around, “Before somebody comes and finds all this.”

Dean nodded in agreement, approaching the bar and stepping behind. He bent down and held Shannon’s arm gently, “Let’s go,” he said to her, “Like I said, I’ve always got your back.”

Sammy watched on as Dean guided Shannon back to her feet and lead her out to the car. She sighed heavily, dropping her facade for a moment and rubbing her head. Her heart was racing so fast it felt like it was going to burst through her ribcage, her legs trembling involuntarily in terror.

“Hey,” Sam said, coming up beside Sammy and rubbing her arm gently, “Shannon’ll be ok. Dean will take care of her, I promise.” he consoled her, “Are  _you_  alright?”

“O-oh yeah, yeah I’m fine,” she lied, rolling her shoulders and putting on a smile, “Just a day at the office for you two right?” she joked, laughing unconvincingly. She grabbed a couple of bottles from the bar, Whiskey and Vodka to be precise, “I’m taking these though.”

Sam frowned, “You know it’s okay to not always be…okay, right? I don’t think any less of you or anything.”

“I’m just glad I’m not dead,” she shrugged, blinking rapidly, “Kinda…brought some stuff back, you know? C-can we go back to the bunker? I think I need to lock myself in there forever.”

“Yeah,” he smiled down at her, placing a hand on her lower back to gently guide her from the bar.

The girls were shook, to put it lightly. Shannon was completely closed up and quiet, Sammy was closed up in her room, the sound of Japanese men punching each other in ridiculous fashions being the only sound to come from inside. It had been an entire day now since the bar incident.

“Shannon,” Dean said, sticking his head around the doorway to Library where she sat studying, “Coffee?”

“Sure,” she shrugged, her attention focused entirely on the Demonology book she had been reading relentlessly since they had returned.

“Maybe you should take a break?” he offered, his face full of concern, “Give your eyes a rest. Sometimes you can work your brain so hard, nothing actually sinks in anymore.”

She sighed in frustration, “I need to do  _something_ , Dean.” she bit out a bit too harshly. “Drinking coffee and taking breaks isn’t gonna solve the Mora problem, or our demon problem. It isn’t gonna keep me safe from…” she choked on her words, sighing once more, “I’m fine.”

“Oh well color me convinced,” Dean folded his arms and shot her a glare, “You and Sammy both bitched mine and Sam’s asses off for working too hard. Pot calling the kettle black?”

She turned her full attention to him then, her eyes flaring with her anger, “Well excuse me if I don’t want to be  _terrified_  every time I walk out that door! Or, God forbid, trying to even  _comprehend_  what the Hell I’ve been through and seen and what could  _possibly_  be down the pike!” she growled. “I don’t want to be a huddled, crying mess when this shit  _inevitably_  happens again!”

He let her rant, listening intently and leaning on the door frame, “You done?” he said softly, “You’ve been bottling that up since we got back haven’t you?”

“I’m not a fighter like you, Dean.” she whined, “You and Sam…hell, even Sammy, you all are just ready to go out there and do what needs to be done. I…I don’t fit in with that. I don’t  _want_  to have to fight things like that or be scared constantly. I just want to be safe.” she nearly cried.

Dean nodded, stepping into the room and sitting in the chair adjacent to her, “No one’s asking you to be a fighter,” he said, resting a hand on her forearm, “Do you think I’m not scared? Hell, I’m practically terrified constantly, but you’re talking to the king of burying shit deep down.” He chuckled, offering her a comforting smile, “This…this is what Sam and I do. I have to do this damn near every day and I certainly don’t do it for fun. That’s why…why we tried to find a way of getting rid of the Marks so you wouldn’t have to live with all this. But as I live and breath, I promise you I will always protect you, you keep going like this you’re gonna burn out and risk the chance of not being on your game if something did happen again.”

“You deserve some sort of warrior princess as your…y-your,” she dropped her head, “Not this. Not someone who curls into a useless ball at the sight of a bar fight.”

“That’s how most normal people would react,” he reassured, his hand squeezing lightly, “I don’t deserve  _anyone_ , you don’t know half the shit that I’ve done over the years… and you…you deserve a normal, happy life, not all this  _crap_ …I’m sorry.”

“You know, before everything happened at the bar and Sammy and I had a moment together,” Shannon smirked softly to herself, “We were talking about how lucky we were to be intended to you two. A-and how we didn’t deserve people like you,” she sighed, finally looking up into his eyes, “A-and how we’d never know if it was real or just the marks. But we both  _wanted_  it, even knowing what we did.” she admitted.

Dean dropped his head, guilt overwhelming his heart, “I…I’d be lying if I said me and Sam didn’t want this either,” he admitted in return, “But then shit like what happened at the bar happens…then I see you like this… I wish I could make it better for you, but this is my life. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“The logical part of my mind tells me to run for the hills,” she admitted, “But my heart and my body…they won’t let me be far from you.” she blushed at her confession, “I don’t want to be. In spite of everything, I still feel better and just…like I  _need_  you looking at me the way you do. Like I just  _need_  you.”

He practically felt attacked. His heart swelled so big he was scared it was going to choke him. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him.

“I don’t want you getting wrapped up in the hell that is our lives,” he whispered, his jaw clenching, “But…I want you at my side,  _constantly_. Now you’re here I don’t want you to leave…it’s selfish…”

“I guess that makes me selfish too,” she whispered, blushing as she stared at him, the affection clear in her eyes as she moved to hold his hand in her own.

He chuckled, instinctively taking her hand in his as it moved towards him, “This is all levels of fucked up and you’re still here,” he shook his head with a smile, “Maybe we’re just selfish and insane.”

“Maybe,” she agreed, squeezing his hand, “But we’ll be selfish and insane together…right?” she asked, hopeful.

His heart swelled impossibly bigger, internally asking himself what the hell he did to deserve any of this. Primal instincts were flooding his mind. “I-I…” he stammered, battling his conscience and his heart, “I don’t want anything to happen to you…” he mumbled, his internal struggle evident in his expression, “If we…I know I’ll never let go if we…”

“Oh,” Shannon sighed, her face dropping in disappointment as she withdrew her hand, assuming his struggle to speak was an attempt of rejection, “No, it’s okay. I…” she swallowed hard, dropping her gaze and unable to meet his eyes, “I understand.” she breathed out, turning back towards the table, her hands shaking as she reached for the book she had been reading.

Dean clenched his eyes closed, unable to so much as look at Shannon while her face was so disheartened. He could feel his entire body screaming to just scoop her up then and there, tell her it was all going to be okay and they’ll make this work. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, and seriously never let go.

But his brain screamed the opposite. She was so traumatized by what happened at the bar, terrified. Pushing all her energy into reading these damn books because he couldn’t completely protect her. It would be impossible, Mora wouldn’t be the first to pick her as a target. So many more would come along, countless. He knew he would be determined to keep her safe. However, past experience had taught him that determination was never enough. He’d lose her eventually, he always loses them. He couldn’t put her through all that pain, nevermind himself.

“Sorry,” he said suddenly, quickly getting to his feet and backing away, “S-sorry, I…I’ll get you that coffee…”

Meanwhile, Sam found his way to Sammy’s room, the constant stream of video game sounds and her shouts and growls having echoed through the halls since their return. He quickly learned that her games were her escape, her coping mechanism. Although he wasn’t one for games himself, he understood needing a way to cope and was grateful she had at least found a constructive outlet.

“Hey,” Sam greeted, smiling at her as he entered her opened room, glancing at the screen before looking at her once more, “Sounds like it’s getting intense.” he joked.

“This fucker is…” she growled, eyes not moving from the screen, “ _really_  starting to….agh!”

She tossed the controller as the protagonist on the screen fell and the screen faded to black with a game over screen. She breathed heavily, biting hard on her bottom lip, “Fuck me,” she whined, “I’m just as useless as I am in reality…” she rubbed her eyes, hoping to remove the tear stains.

“You’re not useless,” Sam corrected gently, taking a seat beside her, “You’re frustrated and angry and you’re allowed to be.”

She answered with a huff and no words. She bunched herself into a ball, drawing her knees up to her chest as she perched at the bottom of the bed. The main menu of her game flashed up onto the screen and the music began to loop as she just stared at it, her eyes just peeping over her folded arms.

“Hey,” Sam gently urged, tugging lightly on her arms, “Don’t do that. Don’t close yourself off.” he pleaded, “You wanna talk about it?” he offered, his eyes pleading with her.

She finally let her eyes glance at him, her heart aching to do so. “What’s there to say?” she mumbled glumly, “You guys have told us enough times about what you do, but actually  _seeing_  it…” she shook her head, “I’m just being a pussy. Ignore me.”

“You’re not a…” he couldn’t bring himself to repeat her words and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, “It is  _normal_  for you two to react the way you did. Dean and I…we’ve seen this day in and day out nearly every day of our lives. Living nightmares is our normal. Please don’t beat yourself up just because you’re not psychopaths like us.” he smirked. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You took cover, which is exactly what you should have done.”

“If that guy hadn’t had showed up,” Sammy mumbled, “A-and you and Dean couldn’t fight all those Demons off alone…” she grimaced, grabbing the controller back up and tapping on the buttons forcefully, “I don’t want to think about it. I love Shannon and y-…It’s too much to think about. We got lucky this time.”

Sam watched her, his mind traveling to a million different places as she focused on the screen. The characters fighting in over-the-top grand moves and epic, fantasy battling. He smirked slightly, realizing the game made her feel strong in ways she couldn’t be in reality. Then it clicked. She needed some sense of control, some feeling that she wasn’t helpless against everything that was happening and coming for them. For now, at least, they were a part of this life. And if they decided to explore this connection between them, maybe she’d always be. Unfortunately, that meant she’d need to be prepared. Although he didn’t like the idea, he would feel better knowing that she at least could protect herself if needed.

“I have an idea,” he suddenly announced, removing the controller from her hands and placing it by the TV. He quickly silenced the protest bubbling on her lips as he extended a hand, waiting for her to accept it.

“Should I be worried?” she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “The last time someone stole my controller off me, let’s just say they don’t associate with me anymore.”

Sam smirked, a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes, “Should I be afraid, Sammy?” he teased.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she returned the smirk, finally taking his hand, “This just better be good.”

He guided her from the room and through the halls, his grip firm but not harsh as he pulled her along with him. He opened a door and gestured for her to enter, following behind her and flicking on a light as he shut the door behind him. Her eyes took in the concrete room, a small shooting range with targets hanging at the far end.

Sam maneuvered around her as she stood in awe, looking around the room. He came back to her a moment later, a handgun and a box of bullets in hand as he set them on the banister at the range.

“I figured,” he spoke as he loaded the weapon, “that you’d feel a bit better if you felt like you had some sort of control or could defend yourself if the need arises.” he finished loading the weapon, setting it on the banister and handing her a pair of ear muffs, “Put these on.” he gently ordered. Once she did, he began explaining the basics of gun safety and use, before firing off several rounds, a tight cluster of shots showing on the far paper target.

“Your turn,” he smiled, urging her to step up to the banister.

The color drained from her face as she gulped hard with anxiety. “S-Sam,” she stuttered nervously, “I’ve never so much as  _held_  a gun, I-I can’t…” she looked at the pistol and then the targets, completely overwhelmed.

“Here,” Sam offered, coming to stand directly behind her, “let me help.” He placed the gun in her hands, adjusting her hold and grip on the weapon as he guided her to lift her arms, his hands touching her more than ever before. “Keep your hands like this. Don’t touch the barrel or any parts of it. It gets hot and you can catch your skin in the slide.” he instructed. “Bend your elbows slightly, don’t lock your arms. The kickback will be jolting at first, but you’ll get used to it.” he smiled at her over her shoulder. His hands trailed up her arms to her shoulders, giving a slight squeeze, “Take a deep breath, relax, and look down the sight at the target. Don’t close your eyes.” his hands rested lightly on her shoulders as he waited for her to follow his instructions.

“Oh God…” she whimpered, trying to remember all this new information, “They make it hell of a lot easier in  _Doom_ …” She didn’t mention that every slight touch or contact from Sam made her heart leap and her legs want to fucking buckle. She breathed in, a cold sweat forming on her brow as she tried to adopt the stance he wanted, “D-do I shoot now?”

“Whenever you’re ready,” he spoke softly, his breath fanning over her shoulder and ear as he spoke.

“Okay,” she nodded, her eyes focused on the target and trying to shake off the nerves, “I can shoot a gun, easy right?  _Anyone_  can shoot a gun!” She laughed slightly, urging her finger to squeeze the trigger. It took a surprisingly little amount of pressure for it to fire. It caught her completely off guard, prompting a squeal as the force jolted her back into Sam. Her head instinctively turning away from the bang and her eyes automatically clenching closed.

Sam’s hand quickly latched around hers, still holding the gun to steady her, the other landing on her waist as the kickback sent her roughly into his chest. “You okay?” he asked, craning his neck over her shoulder to look at her face.

“I don’t like it,” she whimpered weakly, face flushing red with embarrassment, “See? Fucking useless.”

“And I thought Dean and I were hard on ourselves.” he chuckled. “I wasn’t expecting you to be a pro or anything. You’re not useless…you’re scared and inexperienced. I can help with that.” he said, taking the gun from her and flicking the safety, setting it on the banister and removing her ear cover. “As long as you’re here, I want you to be safe, to  _feel_  safe.” his hands rested on her shoulders once more as he lowered his head, trying to catch her eyes, “I can show you some basics. Guns, other weapons, hand-to-hand…whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“You trying to make me your Padawan Sam?” she raised an eyebrow and laughed softly, “I get what you’re saying but… I don’t think I’m cut out for this. I’ve  _daydreamed_  it enough sure, why d’ya think I play my games? B-but, you really think I can do this?”

“I’m deeply sorry that you got mixed in with all of this, because of us. I know it’s not fun or glamorous. It’s terrifying and uncomfortable. But at this point,” he sighed, “it’s no longer a matter of if you can…you have to.” he said sadly, his eyes conveying the hurt and remorse he felt.

“ _Enough_  with the apologizing,” she urged, staring into his eyes seriously, “It’s not just Shannon and I that have got mixed up in this, we’re late to the party, you guys have been stuck with this your entire lives… it’s not fair…on  _any of us_.” Her eyes looked back at the pistol and the target that her bullet hadn’t even hit. “Life’s a bitch I guess. C-can I go again?”

“Yeah,” Sam nodded, coming up behind her once more, adjusting her stance and hold on the weapon, “Don’t close your eyes.”

“It’s a game…” she mumbled to herself, “The  _tutorial_! C’mon woman, you can fucking  _fire a gun_.” Sam was so close she could feel the warmth of his body on her, like some kind of big soothing blanket. She fired again, now expecting the recoil and managing to withhold the squeak this time. She held herself firmly, trying not to let herself get thrown back by the recoil. Instincts, however, were a fucker to overcome, her head still involuntarily turning away and eyes zipping closed.

“We’ll get there,” Sam encouraged, taking the weapon from her hands, “You can come down here to practice anytime, though I’d prefer if you had me or Dean to spot you, just in case.” he moved the earphones and the gun to a table at the back of the room. He paused, his back to her as he took several heavy breaths. He turned around again, his eyes meeting hers, shoulders slumped, “I’ll never be able to stop apologizing…for all of it. You’re in this just because I exist.”

“Your existence is the one plus in this entire situation,” she countered, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him, “Keep saying sorry all you want, but I will always throw it right back atcha.”

Sam stared at her for several long seconds, trying to find the words, before his attention was broken by the clearing of a throat. He turned, seeing Dean leaning against the doorframe before he made his way into the room.

“Hey Snarks,” Dean smirked at Sammy, “Can I have a minute with Sam, please?”

“Fucking  _Snarks_!?” she squealed, “No, nuh-uh. I’m not accepting that. The second I can fire a gun straight you better watch yourself  _boy_.” She warned before leaving.

Dean watched as she left, listening as her footsteps trailed off down the hall before turning his attention back to his brother. “What are you doing, Sam?” he said disapprovingly.

“What?” Sam folded his arms and stared his brother down, “I’m just trying to…I dunno, give her a way to defend herself that’s all.”

“We shouldn’t be  _preparing_  them for this life,” Dean countered, “We should be getting them the hell out of it!” he shouted. “I just broke Shannon’s heart and it killed me. But if you were smart, you’d do the same damn thing,” he said, pointing a finger at Sam’s chest.

“The second you find a way to get them out of this, you be sure to tell me and I’ll back you up to the end of the earth!” Sam argued, “But so far, we got nothing! She said we were lucky that Crowley showed up back at the bar, and d’ya know what? She’s right! That could have gone south so fast and then…” he stopped, the thought too much to bear momentarily, “Then it would have been too late.”

“I get that, man!” Dean nearly whined, “But  _training_  them? Not to mention I see how close you’re getting with her. What would’ve happened if I didn’t interrupt when I did, huh? You gotta back away man, and help me figure out a way to get them out of this. Next time might be too late.” he glared at him, turning to leave the room.

“Maybe I don’t want to fight it, Dean,” Sam called after him, “D’ya not think it’s about time we actually had something good in our lives? Something to  _really_  fight for? I’m starting to get real fucking done with the whole lonesome thankless job bullshit.”

“What, and I’m not?!” Dean roared, “Do you think I wanted to sit there and watch Shannon shatter when I basically rejected her advances on me? This life will kill them, if not worse. If you really cared about her, you’d send her far, far away.”

“Well that’s just you all over isn’t it Dean,” Sam laughed sarcastically, “Push away anything that might do you some good for a change. You said it yourself, Heaven is really pushing for this, and there is  _no way_  we can reverse or stop any of it. So yeah, let’s send them away completely defenseless where they will  _definitely_  get killed and then have all the Angels on our asses. Yeah, good plan.”

Dean’s face fell at his words, “You know what, Sam? You’re right.” he breathed out, noticing Sam’s look of shock, “Cas made it  _very_  clear they only needed one of us to continue the line anyway. So…have at it.” he growled.

“You’re a real stubborn dick,” Sam shook his head, pushing past Dean and moving down the hall, “I do care about them,  _both_  of them. That’s why I’m trying to help. You carry on pushing everything away and see how far that gets you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pressure from the Bonds and the Mora predicament takes its toll on the group.

The four of them sat in the Library, researching. Since the brother’s conversation, they had all been focused intently on researching, trying to find any solution to the Mora problem. Dean focused on the Soulmate issue, desperate to find any way out of this situation for the girls. Sam, on the other hand, had decided to embrace it. **  
**

After his fight with Dean, he had found his way to Sammy, and she encouraged him to vent about all that transpired. Much like Sam, she disagreed with Dean and was more pissed than she had been in a long time, knowing how hard it was for Shannon to put herself out there the way she did, and how much she was hurting from Dean’s actions, even if she stated she was fine.

They were interrupted from their studies by Cas, entering through the Bunker door this time and announcing himself as he made his way to the group.

“I think I found what you were looking for,” Cas said, placing a long item on the table in front of Dean, wrapped in a dingy white cloth, “This was amongst Heaven’s weapons,” he stated, watching as Dean unwrapped an elaborate and bright silver sword, “This was the sword of Joan of Arc, meant to bring the light of Heaven against its foes.” he claimed, “I believe this will work in place of the mythical Dawnbreaker.”

“So, you had something all along?” Dean scoffed, before grabbing the sword’s hilt and holding it up into the light, it really was like the sword emitted its own glow, “Do you really think this could take Mora down?”

“Based off of the information you have provided, I’m assuming it’s our best shot, short of a Hand of God,” Cas said, before his face changed to confusion, his eyes flitting between Dean and Shannon, sensing tension and rift. He turned towards Sam and Sammy, sensing the exact opposite between them. “What of the Bonds?” Cas asked suddenly.

“I wouldn’t Cas,” Sammy scoffed, “You’ll put Dean back in  _jackass_ mode.”

“Really?” Dean rolled his eyes, “I’m the only one here that’s freaking thinking straight.”

“Dean,” Cas said gruffly, “What did you do?” his eyes narrowed at his friend.

“I didn’t do anything!” Dean protested, glancing at Shannon briefly.

“Yeah, that’s exactly the problem,” Sammy grumbled under her breath.

“I’m gonna go make lunch,” Shannon announced coldly, slamming her book shut and rushing from the room. Cas’ eyes followed her before he turned to Dean once more.

“Whatever you did, or didn’t do, I can sense a rift in the Bond.” Cas announced before turning to Sam and Sammy, “However, your Bond seems intact and strong.” he offered a small smile of comfort.

“Well, there we go,” Dean folded his arms, “No problem then is there? You got your one bond still intact. Shannon will lose the crosshairs on her back and  _Sam_ can worry about the shit he’s bringing into Sammy’s life.”

“Heaven will be satisfied, I’m sure,” Cas announced, “However, you are aware that a Bond rejection between Soulmates causes the soul to slowly wither and die, right?” Cas said to Dean. “Is Shannon okay with that?”

“Oh, you have  _got_ to be kidding me!” Dean groaned, head falling into his hands.

“Is this legit?” Sammy looked up from her book and glared the older Winchester down, “I swear if Shannon gets hurt  _any more_  because of you, you’re really gonna wish you never brought us back here.”

“I’ll go see what else I can find out about the Daedra,” Cas announced, before walking to Sam and Sammy and placing his hands on their shoulders reassuringly, “I am glad to see the Bond blossoming between you.” he smiled, before disappearing.

“Jeez he’ll be trying to marry us next,” Sammy mumbled with a sigh, getting to her feet as her cheeks burned. She waltzed over to Dean, peering over his shoulder and seeing the extract on soulmates he was studying, “Really?” she scoffed, “Dean…I really don’t get why you’re fighting this so damn hard. We  _talked_ about this, I thought we were on the same wavelength!”

“If I can find a way to remove the Marks, then she’ll be fine!” he countered with a glare at Sammy, “You two worry about yourselves! Tell me,” he said, turning his attention on Sam, “Any closer to that  _baby_ Heaven wants you to have so badly?” he glowered at his brother.

“Hey, there are  _no babies_  happening around here!” Sammy screeched, her face now bright pink, “I’m not a fan of having my destiny decided for me either, Dean! It’s called trying a different angle! We’re…” she looked at Sam, who’s eye were now slightly narrowed while he watched her speak, “We’re… _friends_! That’s all! A-and…if that keeps heaven happy, then that’s all we need!” She could feel her heart breaking at her own words.

“This  _whole_ thing is about continuing the bloodline…what the hell do you think that means?” he sneered at the pair, “Why do you think I’m trying so hard to find a way out of this. Trust me… _friends_ ain’t gonna cut it here, Sweetheart.”

“Hey!” Sam roared, rising from his seat, “Don’t you  _dare_ come at her like that!” he warned, “Can you stop being a miserable son of a bitch for five seconds?!”

“Don’t fight my battles for me, Sam!” Sammy yelled at him, “Fucking jeez!! The only person I’m bothered about now is my damn wifey. Heaven can fuck itself, Mora can suck a dick, and  _I’ll_ be the one to decide who I fall in love with!”

Sam suddenly felt the sting of rejection as he stood in shock at her words. The warmth that had been filling him had a slight chill that filtered through it and he suddenly wondered if Shannon had felt the same thing.

“See, Sam?” Dean remarked as if he’d won, “Snarks agrees with me. So how about we focus on trying to get rid of this Heaven’s destiny bullshit?”

“That’s not what I…” Sammy grimaced, panic striking her heart as she saw the evident hurt in Sam’s eyes, “Oh fuck this. You know where to find me.” She quickly left the room, heading for her escape room.

Sam slowly slunk back into his chair, his eyes unfocused as utter despair began to build within him. He looked up at Dean, the sorrow clearly evident before turning to anger, “Looks like you get your wish.” Sam breathed out, snatching the Soulmate tome Dean was previously reading.

Dean sighed heavily, a heavy weight of guilt creeping on his heart, “F-for what it’s worth,” he looked at Sam seriously, “You know it’s for the best. If we really do care for them, we get them as far away from us as possible.”

Sam stood from his chair, shaking his head as he gathered several books and notebooks, “Sure, Dean,” he said, his voice heavily laden with sadness, “You always know what’s best…for everyone.” he said, before taking off for his room, leaving Dean alone in the Library.

Shannon came back into the room with a platter of sandwiches, setting it on the table and noticing all but Dean had left the room, “Where did they go?” she asked, her tone cold.

“They’re…” Dean glanced up at her, her tone cutting through him like a knife in the back, “Coming to terms with some home truths… But we’ve got the sword now, right? We can deal with Mora and get you two back into a normal life.”

“I don’t think there is normal for us…not anymore.” she said, handing him a sandwich and taking back the platter, “I’ll go bring them lunch.” she offered, leaving the room.

“Well done, Sammy,” she grumbled to herself, perched back on her bed and not even paying much attention to her game, “ _Smooth. Amazing._  You fucking dumb bitch…”

A knock came at the door and she tensed up, fearing Sam was on the other side.

“U-uh…” she cleared her throat, “C-come in!”

She sighed heavily with relief when it was Shannon that entered.

“Just wanted to see how you were doing.” Shannon said, forcing a smile as she laid back on the bed next to Sammy.

“I don’t even know…” Sammy paused her game and looked at Shannon helplessly, “I thought things were good. Sam and I were getting along just fine a-and then Dean started piping up about bloodlines and babies and I….that’s not what I want Shannon. You know I’ve always said I’m not doing the whole kids thing, but turns out Heaven has already planned my damn life out!”

“I’m trying to find a way out of this, for all of us.” Shannon said, patting Sammy’s leg reassuringly, “The guys will take care of the Demon problem and we’ll figure out this whole Heaven and soulmate thing…and then we’ll move on. You and I…we’ll rebuild some sort of life together, okay?”

“Is that what you really want?” Sammy questioned her, “I…I don’t  _want_ to leave. I can’t go back out there now knowing all this crap exists. Normality is a long gone idea.”

“I agree. But I also don’t want to stay here and face people that don’t really want us in their lives.”

“I don’t think that’s the problem,” Sammy shook her head, “I don’t think it’s not  _wanting_ us around, I think…I… I don’t know…”

“Well, they seem to have made up their minds, so I’m not really sure what we can do about that, Sweetie.” Shannon said, getting up from the bed, “I’m gonna go read some more. I feel like I might be getting close to…something, anything.”

“I can’t look at any more books,” Sammy groaned, “They’re boggling my damn brain…games aren’t doing it for me either…” she got to her feet, eyes lost in thought, “I’m gonna get some practice in.”

Shannon smiled, the first genuine smile in a while, “You do that.” she encouraged as the two of them took off in separate directions down the hallway. Once she realized Sammy was gone, she quickly changed directions, heading for Sam’s room and knocking eagerly on his door.

Sam sighed at the knock, not sure who to expect on the other side. He didn’t want to talk or hear anything about the Demons or Marks right now. “Come in…” he said quietly.

Shannon opened the door, quickly seeing Sam’s disheveled state mirroring how she felt inside, “Hey,” she smiled softly at him, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Uh…” Sam sat up against the headboard, forcing a small smile, “Sure. What’s up?”

“Well…” she sighed, fidgeting with her hands, “To be honest, I’ve been feeling off lately. Like I haven’t been able to shake Dean’s rejection, you know?” she said awkwardly, “And I’ve been reading this book from the Library and I think…” she sighed, meeting his eyes, “I think I may have found a way to…take care of one of our problems.”

Sam shuffled, leaning forward to give her his full attention, yet he also felt apprehensive, “We’ve got plenty of problems, so which one are we talking about?” he tried to laugh.

She laughed a little, nodding, “Well, I’ll admit that I don’t really know much about all of this, which is why I came to you. A-and my Latin is a bit rusty, I mean I haven’t really looked twice at it since high school…” she fidgeted once more, “But I think I may have found a…spell or something. Seems like it’s meant to break Bonds specifically, by removing the Marks. But I think it has something to do with the Cupid that created the Marks and…a-and killing them, amongst other things.”

“Kill the cupid?” Sam grimaced, scratching his head, “I mean…I know you guys are pretty adamant about removing these Marks but… Cupids are harmless. They’re  _good_ really…so it’s not really something we do.”

“Oh,” she sighed, nodding her understanding, “I just thought…you know, if we got rid of the Marks, you wouldn’t have to worry about the Bonds or us or Heaven and all of that. D-Dean…” she swallowed hard, “he seems pretty sure this is the only way.” she added quietly, “Maybe I should show it to him?” she shrugged.

“Dean has a tendency to be pretty one-track minded,” Sam sighed heavily, “Take burdens on himself, not letting people in, he thinks this is the best thing to do. I don’t think he realizes that if it wasn’t for Heaven and soulmates, neither of us would exist in the first place. Don’t tell him that actually…he’d probably say it’s best if we didn’t.”

“Well, the way I understand it, there are only two solutions to this issue. Either we get rid of the Bonds, or we…” she swallowed, unable to mention the bloodline without blushing, “A-and Sammy…she never wanted kids. She never really wanted to be a parent, you know? And I can’t put that on her, I won’t. Me, on the other hand…I always wanted a family. But Dean made it very clear he didn’t want me. So I don’t know what else to do here. But I feel like I’m just withering away in despair here, and I hate it.”

“Maybe,” she laughed to herself, “Maybe we should just tell them if they don’t play ball, you and I will, since it’s just about the bloodline.” she joked, laughing even harder at the idea. “That’d go over about as well as a lead balloon, dontcha think?”

Sam laughed suddenly, “It really would,” he agreed, “Shannon… I don’t want to be out of line or anything but…Dean does, you know? He does want the same as you. He even told me how much it hurt him to do what he did. He’s hell-bent on the idea though that if he gives in to it, it’s only going to bring more pain in your future. Part of me is inclined to agree, that’s why I took Sammy to the shooting range…try and find a way to make it work so you guys don’t have to worry.”

“You two are so focused on wishing this wasn’t happening, that you’re completely ignoring that fact that it already has.” she stated boldly, “I don’t want to be stuck in this limbo. And I don’t want to be scared every time I step out that door.” she took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eyes, “Help me with this spell, Sam… _please_. Otherwise…I’ll have to do it myself.”

“Shannon,” he said, rubbing his forehead and thinking for a moment, “…Could you show me the book you found this spell in? I want to take a look at it first.”

“Of course,” she sighed in relief, gesturing him to follow her to her room, where she pulled forth the book and the bookmarked pages. “Here,” she said, handing him the open book.

He scanned the pages, and she was right, a main part of the spell was the sacrifice of the cupid who made the bond. He breathed out a sigh through his nose, closing the book and taking it under his arm, “I’ll study the spell thoroughly, and let you know what we need to do, okay?”

“Thank you, Sam,” she smiled at him, though her eyes conveyed her breaking heart.

Sam stormed into the Library, his eyes narrowed as they burned into the back of Dean’s head. He approached the table his brother sat at, dropping the book with a heavy thud in front of him. It was open on the spell Shannon found and Sam folded his arms. “Looks like your soulmate makes up for how bad at research you are,” Sam retorted, “Shannon found this.”

Dean looked up at Sam, taken aback by his defensive stance and the anger lacing his tone before he looked down at the book, looking over the spell, “Sacrifice the cupid who made the marks?” he said, blinking rapidly, “That’s not what we do…”

“That’s what you’re driving us towards, Dean,” Sam sat in the chair opposite, “You want the Marks gone so bad, there you go. Go murder an innocent Cupid. Shannon wants me to help her do this ‘cause you’ve fucked with her head so damn bad.”

“S-she said that?” Dean asked, surprised, “She wants the Marks gone?” his tone somewhat disappointed, “Does she even understand what this spell is or requires?”

“This is what you wanted isn’t it?” Sam shrugged, “Of course she doesn’t understand! She’s  _hurting_! You heard what Cas said, a break causes the soul to wither and die, can you imagine what it must be like? She doesn’t want to hurt anymore. Her soul is already making her willing to do something like this.”

Dean shook his head, slamming the book closed and pushing it away from him, “What about you and Sammy, huh? Why can’t you two…”

“She’s already said what she wants,” Sam said lowly, “And… I respect that. Give it enough time, she’s the one that’ll probably come knocking at  _your_ door with this same spell.”

“Then we’ll just have to find another way, Sam. This spell  _can’t_ be the only way…”

“Well, there’s always another option Shannon suggested,” Sam replied with a huff, “You and Sammy won’t budge, so maybe  _me and her_ will continue the bloodline.”

“I swear to  _God_ , Sam, you go anywhere  _near_ her…” Dean growled, before being momentarily shocked by his own response, “You wouldn’t…”

“You won’t do the spell,” Sam goaded him, getting the response he expected, “How else do we keep Heaven off our backs after we get rid of Mora?”

“What am I supposed to do?” Dean said dejectedly, “I’m poison, Sam. I care about her, ok? I care about her enough to not destroy her by loving her!”

“This whole facade you’re putting on to push her away  _is_ destroying her!” Sam yelled in frustration, “How can you not see that!? She even said that if we don’t help her with this spell, she’ll go and do it herself. Do you really want her to live with that?”

“Dammit!” Dean growled, tugging at his hair. “Fine! Fine…” he sighed, feeling hopeless. “Just…tell me how to fix this.”

“Maybe you can start by talking to her?” Sam shrugged and raise his hands like it was obvious, “Cut the crap and tell her how you really feel?”

“Yeah,” Dean sighed, getting up from his seat, “But if I do this, you go talk to Sammy. If we’re seeing this through, really accepting this whole  _Soulmate_ thing, then we do it together.”

“I-I…” Sam’s face dropped at the thought, “I think she made her point earlier…”

“So did I,” Dean smirked, “But you didn’t let that stop you either.”

Sam rubbed his eyes with a long sigh, the distant sound of gunshots from the shooting range suddenly becoming noticeable to him, “Fine.”

“At least my girl isn’t armed,” Dean muttered as he walked from the room.

Never had the halls of the Bunker felt so long and daunting to Dean as he slowly headed for Shannon’s room. He didn’t know what to expect, she might slam the door in his face just upon seeing him.

“It’d make sense if she did…” he mumbled to himself, finally reaching the door in question and lingering as he stood looking at it.

Eventually, he brought his hand up and knocked.

Shannon opened the door, the smile on her face faltering as she met eyes with Dean, “Hey. What’s up?” she asked.

“Uh…” Dean felt that familiar choking sensation like his throat was closing up, only Shannon could make his body react like this, it was all new, “I-I was just speaking to Sam and…can we talk?”

She looked him up and down momentarily, the smile slipping from her face altogether as she nodded, leaving the door open and sitting back on her bed, sorting through papers and shuffling books that were laid out on its surface. Dean caught a glimpse of one of the open books, detailing a trap and summoning for a Cupid.

“Ha…” he laughed awkwardly, “You’ve got a real knack for research you know, I wish I could find things so quickly.”

“I’ve always been an avid reader and highly curious,” she shrugged, “Once I knew what I was looking for, it seemed to go more easily.” her tone was indifferent, “Is yarrow something that’s readily available?” she asked, finally meeting his eyes as she waited for his response.

“Uh, yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ve got some in stor-” he stopped himself, deciding to get straight to the point, “Look, Shannon, the spell you found? I…I don’t think we’re going to do it. Cupids are innocent, we don’t kill innocent creatures.”

“I told Sam I’d do it myself if I had to,” she shrugged like it was no big deal, “This was the answer we were looking for, right?”

“Y-you’re right,” Dean clenched his jaw, “I pushed us all in this direction, but now that we’ve found it, I don’t want to do it.”

“Dean,” she sighed, “I get that this isn’t something you guys normally do. But it’s either this or…doing what Heaven decided. You don’t want this, and Sammy…this just seems like the best way.”

“I said things that…” Dean could feel his heart starting to pick up the pace, “I said things to push you away. I thought that…by keeping you at bay you would be safer, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was right, I don’t know. But…I’ve been hurting ever since, as each day passes it’s just getting worse and I don’t want you to become a killer because I’m a fucking jackass.”

“You made it clear how you felt about all of this, Dean, and I’m trying to respect that, even though it’s like your rejection is burrowing deeper and deeper into me each day. I feel…drained, for some reason. I don’t want to feel like this, and I look around and see that Sammy’s freaked out, Sam is hurting too…something’s gotta give. And if I can do something about it, then what choice do I have?”

“I wasn’t clear at all,” Dean admitted, her words cutting into him like white-hot blades, “Because it wasn’t the truth. When we talked the other night…all I wanted to do was tell you how I really felt, but at the time, I thought that was the wrong thing to do. Now…I was wrong. If you can hear me out and you decide you still want to go ahead with the spell…I guess I can’t stop you.”

“Fine,” she sighed, “Tell me the truth.”

His brain completely froze. It was impossible to sum up how he really felt. The words that came were just rambles and cliches. He scratched the back of his head, watching her sitting and waiting for him to speak. His head went back to the night, remembering when they sat at the table together and how she looked at him then, remembering how his body screamed for him to let her in, just like it was doing right now.

“Selfish and insane…” he mumbled, “…together. That’s what I want. I need you.”

Her heart leaped into her throat, remembering that night. “And the next time something like the bar happens…are you gonna change your mind again? Because I don’t think I can keep going through this over and over, Dean.”

“I can’t promise things like the bar won’t happen again, like I said, it’s like a huge target on our backs,” he admitted, “But I never changed my mind, it’s what I wanted since I first laid eyes on you. It’s whether you want… _this_ to become your life. If you don’t, I understand, but I will protect you to my last breath either way.”

She rose from the bed and came to stand before him, meeting his eyes, “I wanted it then, Dean. Even before that night. Maybe it’s the Marks, maybe it’s not. But when I thought that you and I were getting close, that there could be something…I never wanted anything more.”

“Do you…” he looked at her in the eyes, lost in them, “Do you still…?”

“Always,” she whispered reverently.

He breathed out heavily, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. Giving in to what his body was itching to do since he stepped into the room, he stepped closer to her. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her into him, his lips finally meeting hers and kissing her deeply while he raked his hand through the back of her hair.

She moaned into the kiss, a soft sigh of relief escaping her at the feel of his lips against her own. She gave in to the demand of his mouth, gasping slightly as his hands tugged gently at her hair. In that moment, her heart swelled, the dark and empty feeling that had been overtaking her being replaced with a warmth and completeness that she’d never felt before, and she wondered if he’d felt it too.

“Dean” she sighed, pulling back from the kiss, making him look at her, “Please don’t push me away again.” she begged, “I can’t…I can’t be without you, not after this.”

“Oh you are so stuck with me now, Baby,” Dean chuckled with a smirk, “I’m so sorry…I’ve really put you through more hell than was necessary.”

“You’re forgiven,” she smirked, placing her hands lightly against his chest, “Don’t ever do it again,” she said with a raised brow in warning.

“Hearing you loud and clear,” he smiled, his hand brushing gently down her cheek.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked, “About Mora…about the Sammys…about Heaven?”

“Sam’s gone to face Snarks,” Dean smirked, “Heaven can kiss my ass, and I’m gonna personally make sure Mora’s getting that sword up  _his_ ass.”

“You have a weird obsession with asses.” Shannon teased, her laughter cut short by Dean’s phone ringing. He pulled it from his pocket with a sigh, seeing  _666_ emblazoned on the ID. “What do you want, Crowley?” Dean answered, seeing Shannon’s eyes go wide.

Sam made his way to the range, hearing Sammy taking shot after shot. He was nervous to talk with her,  _especially_ since she was armed, which he suddenly momentarily regretted. Determined to fix things between them, he entered the range, watching as she fired off a shot, cursed under her breath at missing once more, and took the lull in her practice to interrupt.

He tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped in surprise, before removing her head protection. “Getting better?” Sam asked, swallowing hard and trying to remain strong and focused.

“If by  _better_ you mean…” she slumped her shoulders, flicking the safety on the gun and setting it down while she struggled to form words, “…like…not at all.” She leaned back against the wall and sighed in defeat.

Sam sighed, “I need to talk to you…about us. And I just need you to listen for a second, ok? ‘Cause if I don’t get this out in one go, I might never get it out.”

“Oh God,” she whined painfully, sliding down the wall until she was sat on the floor and bunched herself up, “Should have known this was coming. Sam I…Dean took what I said  _completely_ the wrong way, you know that right?”

Sam huffed, reaching down and pulling Sammy to her feet, lifting her up and sitting her on the half-wall of the range, his hands resting on her thighs as he stood somewhat between her parted knees. He smirked slightly at the surprised squeak that left her lips, “I said…let me talk.” he stated firmly.

“I’m so glad that you explained about Dean, and me, taking what you said the wrong way. ‘Cause that makes what I have to say a whole lot easier.” he said in a softer tone, “I have always wanted a relationship, a love to call my own. It’s never worked out well just because of the life I live. Then I find out I have a Soulmate, one person meant just for me and,  _damnit_ , if it wasn’t instantly everything I wanted.” he said, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear and letting the backs of his fingers trail down her neck gently, “I’m  _terrified_ that I may screw this up or that things will go sideways somehow like they always do, but I  _still_ want it. I want it with  _you_. And whatever you don’t want, whatever you’re not comfortable with, just tell me and I’ll be fine. All I want is to know that we both genuinely gave this a try.”

The entire time he spoke, Sammy could feel her cheeks growing hotter and her chest pained by the swell of her heart. “Sam…” she whispered, “I…I just don’t like things being  _decided_ for me,” she shrugged, continuing before he cut in, “So…I’m telling you straight up, right here, right now. It’s not the marks, it’s not destiny, this is me saying…I…I want it too…”

A grin that nearly split his face appeared, his eyes lighting up with it, before he cupped her face, “So, does that mean I can kiss you now?” he asked cheekily.

She giggled, letting her hair fall in front of her face bashfully. She gazed up at him, narrowing her eyes and smirking, “I think it’s certainly… _agreeable_.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “Snarks suits you,” he smirked, crashing his lips to hers before she could protest.

The initial instinct of wanting to thump him was quickly pushed out of her mind. It felt like someone had put in the last piece of a puzzle and everything just felt… _right_. She hummed contently, leaning into the kiss and wrapping her arms around his waist, internally wishing for this singular moment to just never end.

As her arms wrapped around him, Sam moaned slightly, one hand tilting her head to deepen the kiss, the other finding the small of her back, pressing her tightly against him. He was  _desperate_ with want. As before, they were interrupted by the sound of a clearing throat. Sam groaned as he pulled from the kiss, contemplating picking up the gun that sat beside them and firing a warning shot at Dean.

“Sorry guys,” Dean said, “We have a problem.”

Sammy quickly hopped down from her makeshift seat, face beet red and clearing her own throat before speaking, “P-problem?” she squeaked, “Like…right  _now_?”

“Crowley called,” Dean said, looking at Sam, “He said he’s got information on Mora, but we have to meet him somewhere.”

“Seriously?” Sam groaned in frustration, Crowley always had the best timing, but this was important, “Right…guess we should go then.”

“You two are staying here,” Dean gently ordered, looking at Sammy, “We should be back in a few hours.”

“I’m not arguing,” she raised her hands, “Like I said, I’m tempted to never leave this damn bunker again. Just…be careful,  _both_ of you.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interesting package arrives. The boys find out more information on Mora. And Sam has unusual interrogation tactics.

It was an hour or so drive to Crowley’s meeting place. Dean was insistent he was going to shave that time by half, speeding down the highway at full pelt to get this over with and be back at the Bunker as soon as possible.

“So…” Dean glanced at Sam in the passenger seat, unable to resist poking in his brother’s business just a teeny bit, “ _That_  looked like it was going well.”

“Shut up,” Sam scoffed, “You were  _this_  close to getting a bullet in you.”

“ _Saaam_ ,” Dean tittered, “That’s no way to talk to your big bro!  _I’m_  the one who made you go talk to her didn’t I?”

“You can’t go claiming credit for anything after the complete asshole you’ve been the last few days,” Sam argued, shaking his head with a small smile, “How’d it go with Shannon?” **  
**

Dean shrugged with a smug grin, “What can I say? Girl’s got good taste.”

Sam rolled his eyes but was unable to stop the small huff of laughter that passed his lips, “Well…for what it’s worth, I’m glad. Just hope Crowley’s actually got something useful for us for a change.”

After several minutes of silence, Dean spoke, his tone slightly concerned, “Were you and Shannon really considering…” he couldn’t even speak the words, pretty sure he’d deck his brother if it was anything other than a ‘no’.

Sam chuckled, shaking his head again, “Had to say  _something_  to motivate you to get off your ass. So predictably jealous…”

“Shut up,” Dean grumbled, secretly satisfied at his response.

As they pulled up to the meeting place, Dean parked the car, the brothers climbing from their seats, weapons tucked in their jackets as they approached Crowley, standing alone in the clearing.

“About time you two showed up.” Crowley smirked, “And how are the ladies fairing?” he asked.

“None of your damn business,” Dean answered with a sarcastic smile, “What you got for us, Crowley? Make it short and sweet.”

“I’m going out on a limb here, trying to help you take out a common enemy, and all I get is a load of sass in flannel?” Crowley scoffed, “Mora requires a certain amount of souls to reach his full power, and he’s nearly got them. His demons are everywhere. Once he’s at full power, he’ll not only be able to see where we all are but what we’re planning as well.”

“So  _you’re_  scared,” Sam retorted, “‘Cause you’re about to get overthrown and you want  _us_  to take him out for you.”

“Mora is nothing more than a pest playing at claiming the throne. Truth is, he could care less. Hell is only the beginning.” Crowley said, pacing slightly, “Once he’s at full power, he can see  _everything_. That not only includes  _my_  business and plays, but yours, Heaven’s…everything. The only way to stop him is with a weapon forged of Heaven’s light.”

The boys shared a look, Shannon’s theory about Dawnbreaker wasn’t all that wrong after all. “How about Joan of Arc’s sword?” Dean remarked, “D’ya reckon that could do it?”

“As a final blow,” Crowley pursed his lips in thought, “it could work. But that’s the  _last_  step in killing him. Besides the fact that he’s surrounded himself with a small army of Demons at all times, you’d need to find a way to remove the power he’s receiving from the souls before you could even attempt to strike him with the weapon.”

“Oh it’s just all in a day’s work isn’t it?” Dean scoffed sarcastically, “Any suggestions on how we actually  _do_  that?”

“That’s where you two bumbling morons come in.” Crowley shot back, “Do I need to do everything for you? Even if I sent a legion of Demons to battle against Mora’s demons, you’d still need to remove the soul power. Figure out how to do that, then we can make a plan of attack.” **  
**

“We’ll have to check if the Men of Letters had anything that can help,” Sam thought aloud, “Or ask Cas if Heaven’s got anything?”

“Yes, yes. In the meantime, while you two are busy playing footsie at home, Mora is still killing humans and collecting their souls. Correct me if I’m wrong here, but I thought stopping such things was what you two did?”

“Okaay…” Sam drew the word out as his frustration grew, “Well…maybe the girls can do the research? Shannon certainly seems to be good with the books and we can head out, try and find where Mora will attack next?”

“Finally! A plan!” Crowley drawled sarcastically, “Contact me when you’ve pieced together what we need.” he said, disappearing once more.

“Oh, and what the hell are you gonna be doing huh!?” Dean yelled at the empty space Crowley stood, “Fucking son of a bitch, probably just hiding away in hell while we do all the damn dirty work.”

“Call Cas,” Sam said, walking back to the car, “We need all hands on deck for this one. I’ll call Sammy, let her know we’ll be gone a little longer than expected.” he sighed.

“What’s going on?” Shannon asked Sammy as she hung up the phone.

“Ugh,” Sammy groaned, dropping into a nearby seat with a huff, “So…they’re gonna be gone a while,  _and_  we’ve got homework. I swear, if Angels are real, God must be too and I swear he’s having a real big long giggle at this.”

“I have a feeling he either doesn’t care or isn’t around,” Shannon sighed, rubbing her forehead before grabbing more books, “Ok…more research…”

Before she could get into it, a loud banging knock sounded from the main Bunker door at the top of the stairs. Shannon looked to Sammy with wide eyes. “What the Hell?”

“Uh…” Sammy tensed up, dropping her voice to a whisper, “Well that can’t be  _them_?… What do we do?”

“Call them back!” Shannon squealed, growing increasingly concerned.

“We can’t call and nag them for every little thing!” Sammy hissed, before the knocking wrapped on the door again even louder. She whined, looking at Shannon helplessly, “I…I’ll answer it I guess…”

The girls went to the door together, shaking as the knocking sounded again and again, growing increasingly loud as they stood right before the entryway. Shannon reached forward, opening the door slightly to see a delivery man with a package in hand.

“Can I help you?” Shannon asked, trying to control the tremor in her voice. **  
**

“I got a delivery here for a Mr. Sam and Dean Winchester,” the man said cockily, twirling the long mustache that sat snugly above his upper lip, “I gotta say…I wasn’t expecting such  _lovely_  ladies to be answering the door.”

“Th-they didn’t say anything about a package coming…?” Sammy raised an eyebrow, looking at the man suspiciously, “Do you know where it’s from?”

“Oooh,” the man sang, “Just some little company called ‘Gabe Matchmaking Inc’, it’s a complimentary gift.”

“Um…” Shannon nibbled her lip in thought, reaching out for the package tentatively, “O-okay. Do I need to sign for it?”

“No no,” he smiled chirpily, “I know it’s at the right place. Now you two cuties have yourself a mighty fine day!”

“Thanks,” Shannon said, accepting the package and shutting the door, ensuring it was locked. She turned around, resting her back against the door’s surface and looking at the package in her hands, “Should we open it?” she asked Sammy, handing her the package and pulling out her phone, “I’m gonna text Dean and see if he’s okay with us opening it.” she nodded to herself, typing a quick message to Dean.

**_Hey, um, a package was just delivered from Gabe’s Matchmaking. Do you want us to open it? The delivery man said it was for you and Sam._ **

Dean pulled out his phone, smiling as he saw a message from Shannon before he swerved the car, pulling off to the side of the road, “What the Hell?” Dean said with a deep frown.

“What?” Sam sat up, alerted, “Is it Shannon? Are they okay?”

Dean didn’t answer, he just showed Sam the message, prompting Sam to groan and drop his face into his hands, “Jesus fucking Christ,” he moaned.

**_Don’t open it. We’re on our way back. 1 hour tops._ **

Dean sent off his reply, quickly popping a U-turn as he pressed his foot to the pedal, Baby speeding off back towards the Bunker.

“Dean said not to open it and they’re coming back,” Shannon grimaced, “Do you think we fucked up?”

“Gabe’s Matchmaking Inc…” Sammy mumbled to herself, “I mean….correct me if I’m wrong, but does that not sound like a dating site to you? M-maybe they’re…” she stopped to giggle, “Maybe they’re  _valued_  customers.”

Shannon groaned, “I really don’t need this shit.” she sighed. “Come on, just leave it on the map table. Let’s go back to the books.”

“I’m just saying,” Sammy continued to giggle, “They’ve dropped everything and come hightailing it back?  _And_  they don’t want us to open it? Come on, that screams embarrassing parcel to me.”

Shannon stared at the package, wondering what could possibly be inside that they had to hightail it back to the Bunker, “I really wanna open it.” she mumbled. **  
**

“We can always seal it back up after?” Sammy stuck her tongue out with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “They’ll never know.”

Shannon contemplated it for a moment before shaking her head, “We want them to trust us and respect us, Sammy. If Dean says don’t open it, I’m sure he has a better reason than embarrassment.” she sighed, casting a longing glance at it, “I won’t have a part in your shenanigans.” she said, walking away to the Library.

“Hey, I ain’t opening it on my own!” Sammy squealed, backing off from the parcel, “Could be something  _dangerous_ …” she pouted, unable to resist the urge to peel back some of the tape slightly.

“SAMMY!!!” Shannon called from the hall, “Leave it alone!”

“Naaaw!” she moaned childishly, “I’ll…fail to shoot a target for an hour I guess.”

The boys burst into the Bunker an hour later, as promised, their eyes searching with panic for the girls, “Shannon! Sammy!” Dean shouted from the war room. The sound of footsteps from different directions drifted towards them as the girls made their way to the front of the Bunker.

“Wow, when you say an hour, you mean it.” Shannon smiled, before creasing her brow in concern at the boy’s flustered states. “Everything ok?”

“I am now I know you’re okay,” Dean sighed with relief, pulling her in for a tight hug, “Seriously, what possessed you both to answer the door? The bunker is safe for a reason, as in, nobody knows it’s here!”

“Incessant knocking,” she mumbled, “I’m sorry, we just figured…it was just answering the door.” she shrugged.

“Heh…” Sammy chuckled sheepishly, “M-my bad…Shannon did say we should have rung you,” she shuffled on the spot awkwardly.

“So why didn’t you?” Sam asked, walking up to her and tilting her head to meet his eyes.

“W-well, you’re busy and…” she slumped slightly, feeling like an idiot, “Look, it’s okay, it was just a parcel. So c’ mon open it, open it!”

Dean looked at Sammy and Sam before shuffling over to where the package sat on the light up table, “Gabe’s Matchmaking…” he grumbled, reading the label. He sighed, pulling a pocket knife forth and quickly cutting open the package, before looking inside.

“What is it?” Sam asked, curiosity genuinely taking over.

“What’s in the box!?” Sammy cried overdramatically, giggling to herself.

Dean pulled out what looked to be a large quartz crystal. He examined it briefly, before handing it off to Sam. He reached back in the box, retrieving several folded papers. Upon examining, his eyes went wide, seeing the making of a Soul Capturing spell. He handed those off to Sam as well. Then he paused, his eyes going wide as he swallowed thickly, quickly closing the flaps of the box. “That’s uh…that’s the gist of it,” Dean said, his voice a little high-pitched as a blush spread across his cheeks and neck.

“The gist of it?” Sammy folded her arms suspiciously, “That box is…a little  _big_  for some dumb crystal and a few notes.” She slowly stepped towards Dean and the box, flinging her arms out to try and snatch it, but Dean was faster and shifted it away. **  
**

“P.S. a  _mini_  gift for future use,” Sam said, growing confused. He looked at Dean who tossed him the box with a sigh. Sam slowly opened the box, holding it to his chest as he peered inside. His eyes went comically wide, his jaw slightly slack as he closed it back up, walking over to hand it to Dean with a pat on his shoulder, “All yours.” he smiled.

“Deaaan,” Shannon whined, “What the Hell is it?!”

“I-it’s nothing, just forget about it!” Dean insisted with a twinge of panic in his voice.

Shannon crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a stern look, “I will  _not_  let you kiss me again until you show me what’s in that damn box, Winchester!”

“Wh-what!?” he practically shrieked, “Oh c’ mon! Seriously, it’s  _nothing_!”

“Yoink!” Sammy squeaked with delight, creeping up behind Dean and snatching the box while he was distracted.

“Sammy, babe…don’t do it. You don’t wanna know…” Sam said, watching as she opened the box with a triumphant smirk.

“Oh please, what could possibly-” her eyes nearly popped out of her damn skull, and she dropped the box on the floor like it was diseased, “The  _fuck_  is this!?”

“A reminder, I’m guessing,” Sam grumbled, “I told you not to look in the box.”

“Seriously, guys?!” Shannon challenged, “What are you all freaking out about? Give me the damn box.” Shannon wiggled her fingers at Sammy.

“Oh honey, you can have it,” Sammy said quickly, kicking the box over to her, before turning to Sam, “So who the fuck is this Gabe?”

Sam’s eyes flitted between Dean, who looked like he was about to bolt, and Shannon as she placed the box on the table, opening it to view its contents, “Gabriel…the Archangel.” Sam stated.

“Awww,” Shannon cooed, pulling out the miniature red plaid booties, “I’ve never seen plaid booties before. Seriously? This is what has you all worked up?” she turned, laughing at the other three. “They’re cute!” she defended, holding them in her palm and smiling.

“Yeah well, you’re fucking welcome to them,” Sammy grimaced, at the sight, “This Gabe thinks he’s some kind of joker I assume?”

“Trickster.” Sam and Dean said in unison. **  
**

“Why would he give us Baby Booties?” Shannon asked, clearly confused.

The three looked at her in silence. Waiting for it to click.

“Oh,” Shannon said, realization dawning on her, “Oh!” she proclaimed a bit louder, “Well you think Heaven could come up with a better gift than booties…” she grumbled.

“What? Were you expecting Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh?” Sammy rubbed her forehead with a groan, “Just… _forget_  the…booties… I’m assuming he’s sent the crystal to help with our Mora problem right?”

“Yeah,” said Sam, looking over the papers again, “Crowley said in order to defeat Mora we’d need to stop him from collecting souls, defeat his demon army, drain him of his soul power, and  _then_ finish him off with the sword.” he dropped the pages to the table, “Just another day at the office, really.” he forced a sarcastic smile. “At least this crystal and this spell takes care of draining the soul power. And we have the sword…”

“Just the  _small_  matter of a freaking army now,” Dean grunted, dropping into a chair and sighing, “I’m too tired to even think about where to start with that one.”

“I’ll call Garth,” Sam offered, “See if he can get some Hunters to stop Mora’s goons from collecting any more souls. Shannon and Sammy can hit the books, see what they can find about fighting hordes of demons. And you,” he said, pointing at Dean, “You haven’t slept in days, man. Go catch a few hours.”

Dean motioned to argue, but a huge yawn escaped his mouth instead, “Ugh, fine, point taken.”

“Go sleep, Dean,” Shannon urged, the booties still dangling from the end of her fingers, “I’ll make you coffee and food when you get up, ok?”

“So long as you promise to not still be holding  _them_  when you do,” he retorted, getting to his feet.

She looked down at the booties still in her hold, “They’re cute!” she defended with a pout.

“I’m not denying that,” he countered with a smirk, leaning into her ear and dropping his voice to a whisper, “C’mon, one step at a time, Sweetheart.”

Her eyes went wide, “I wasn’t…I didn’t…I mean…” she swallowed hard, “I’ll go…put them somewhere.” she said, hurriedly running away.

“Now look at who’s freaking out,” he tittered victoriously, “Right, back in a few hours!”

Shannon approached the kitchen, cautiously peering around the doorframe and letting out a sigh of relief at seeing the Sammys sat in the kitchen, no sign of Dean. She had been  _sort of_ , not really, avoiding Dean since their discussion in the war room. **  
**

“Good morning,” she said to the pair as she went to get coffee, acting as if nothing was amiss.

“Hey,” Sammy glanced up at her with a devilish smirk, “Still hiding from Dean?”

Shannon had dragged Sammy to one side previously and shared what Dean had whispered into her ear. Naturally, Sammy was now using this to be a teasing fuck but had honored Shannon’s wish of not breathing a word to Sam.

“I’m not  _hiding_ ,” she scowled at her friend, “I’m…strategically maneuvering…”

“What?” Sam raised a confused eyebrow, “Why are you avoiding him?”

“Oh, no reason,” Sammy giggled before taking a long gulp of her coffee.

“I’m not…avoiding him either,” Shannon said, her head held high, “I’m just…sorting through some things.” she shrugged. “And you,” she pointed at Sammy, “Hush.”

“But of course,” Sammy grinned, tongue poking between her teeth, “I’d  _never_  [break a promise](https://winsister91.tumblr.com/post/167206584978/breaking-a-promise-masterlist).”

“Ok, someone want to clue me in here?” Sam asked, looking between the pair, “Did Dean do something stupid again?” he sighed, thinking the worst.

“Dean’s  _always_  stupid,” Sammy retorted, “No can do, girl talk, not for boys!”

“It’d be easier if I didn’t have the stupid dreams,” Shannon mumbled, “It’s no big deal, Sam. Promise.” she smiled at him reassuringly.

“Dreams?” Sam straightened up in alarm, “What dreams? Are you sure they’re nothing?”

“Dreams are just…dreams, Sam. A series of images projected by the subconscious to help process thoughts. It’s nothing, really. Just, sometimes you wake from a dream and you can’t shake it, you know? I just keep having very  _vivid_  dreams.” she sighed out, momentarily drifting off into thought and shaking herself from the daze.

“Oh I  _bet_  they’re vivid,” Sammy chortled into her coffee.

“How vivid?” Sam still looked concerned, “Vivid enough to almost seem real?”

“Dude, will you chill?” Sammy looked at him in confusion.

“No, I won’t.” Sam defended, growing more serious, “Sometimes dreams aren’t just dreams. Sometimes they’re visions or a by-product of spellwork. Any number of things could be going on. So yeah, I’m concerned.”

“Visions huh?” Sammy smirked again, “Oh I’m sure Shannon would  _love_  these to come true.”

“You can fuck off with that shit!” Shannon retorted, “Sam, look if it was worth mentioning, I’d tell you, ok?” **  
**

“What’s worth mentioning?” Dean stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, his eyes still red from sleep and his hair stuck up in places.

Shannon’s eyes went wide at the sight of the older Winchester, “Uh, no-nothing, nothing, we’re good. Go-od. Yep.” she popped the ‘P’ exaggeratedly, “I’m gonna go, uh, books, research, yeah.” she took off with her cup back to her room.

Sam watched the awkward scene unfold, looking to Sammy with a raised brow in silent question.

“ _Girl talk!_ ” she repeated, “ _Not for boys!”_

Dean sighed, watching Shannon take off and his shoulders slumped, “Did I do something?” he asked the pair as he sat at the table, “She’s been avoiding me and I can’t figure out what I did.”

Sammy felt the stares of both Winchesters on her, it was…oddly intimidating. “ _Girl talk!!!_ ” she squeaked, “Nope!” She hopped to her feet, “Good talk, I want to shoot things!”

“Nuh-uh,” Sam said, grabbing her arm and pushing her back into her seat, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to hold her in place, “Spill,” he commanded.

“Uh oh,” she grimaced, but couldn’t ignore her heart fluttering at his hold, “I  _can’t_! I promised!”

Sam sighed, looking at Dean, “Apparently Shannon has been having vivid dreams lately.” he said, the concern returning to his tone. “I don’t know what about, but they’ve talked it over and keep saying it’s ‘nothing’.”

“Dreams?” Dean narrowed his eyes in concern, “What kind of dreams? Not the freaky ‘ _Sam visions_ ’ type right?”

“Oh my God!!!” Sammy shrieked, “You are blowing this  _so_  out of proportion!”

“Could be Mora,” Dean suggested, the brothers ignoring Sammy’s comments, “If he’s gaining power, he could be attempting to project visions in an attempt to scare or control her, right?”

“Gah!!” Sammy tried to throw her arms in the air, but was too busy being held tight, “ _Dean_!!” she yelled to get his attention. His eyes met hers and she sighed in frustration, “You…uh…” she paused to give Sam a side eye, still not wanting to break the promise, “Do you remember the  _last thing_  you said to Shannon?”

“Pretty sure it was the ‘morning’ I just said a few moments ago,” Dean said, narrowing his eyes at her, “Sammy, just tell me if I did something…”

“Dean, she doesn’t seem  _scared_  so much as flustered or embarrassed.” Sam pointed out.

“Oh fuck me,” Sammy rolled her eyes, “‘ _One step at a time_!’” she urged, staring at Dean helplessly and hoping Sam wouldn’t understand the context, “You following me here!?”

Dean stared at her in silence with narrowed eyes as he processed what she was saying. “You know what,” he sighed, rising from the table, “Enough. I’ll just go talk to her.” he said, stopping at the kitchen doorway to look back at Sammy, “For what it’s worth…you’re pretty good at keeping secrets.” he mumbled with a smirk before leaving. **  
**

“Damn right I am,” Sammy nodded proudly, “No interrogator can break me!” she turned to Sam and smirked.

“That so?” he grinned wickedly, slowly leaning into her, his breath fanning over her neck, lips hovering just above the skin, “I’m sure I can make you talk.”

“E-excuse me,” she countered, voice slightly shaky as her cheeks flushed, “ _That’s_  cheating.”

In a flash, he had scooped her up, sitting her on the edge of the table as he stood between her legs, one hand tangling in her hair and tugging to tilt her head so she met his eyes, “S’not cheating, it’s effective.” he smirked, grazing his lips against hers, but pulling back each time she tried to press forward for a kiss. He smirked, “Tell me.”

“ _Saaaam_ ,” she whined, cheeks now practically burning, “I hope this isn’t how you do  _all_  your interrogations, I may have a problem with that.”

“Nope,” he said, burying his face in her neck once more and giving a slight nip to the skin as he pressed her back down against the table, hovering over her, “This is just for you.” he smiled against her mouth, his tongue peeking forth just slightly to tease at her bottom lip. “Tell me,” he demanded again.

“It’s…” she gasped, squirming under his hold, “ _Holy shit_ …It’s  _g-girl talk_!”

Sam growled slightly, one hand pinning her hip to the table as he lightly pressed himself against her center, “Tell me, Baby.” he whispered, his lips ghosting down her throat to her collarbone, but not actually touching the skin.

A small whine and a curse passed her lips, as all hairs stood on end and fluttering happened deep down in her guts, “Dean hinted about having babies one day and she’s losing it,” she said quickly, in defeat.

“Mmm…” Sam hummed, rewarding her with a nip on her collarbone that he soothed with his tongue, “When the booties arrived?” he asked, still lingering, his hips jerking into hers slightly once more.

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded quickly, not able to do words.

“And the dreams?” he asked a kiss landing just above her covered breasts.

“I…” she panted for air, “I’m not sure you really wanna  _know_  those details.”

“Give me the summary,” he said, his mouth now trailing up her neck to her ear, before nibbling on the lobe.

“You’re such a jerk,” she whimpered, “C’ mon Sam, they’re about…the process of  _making_  said babies?”

“Mmm…” he hummed once more, kissing his way across her jaw and cheek, hovering above her lips, “That’s all?” he asked, meeting her eyes once more.

“Yup,” she nodded again quickly, her voice high in pitch and quiet. **  
**

He smiled, helping her to sit up on the table once more, “Such a  _[good girl](https://sofreddie.tumblr.com/post/178359191884/good-girl)_ ,” he smirked, pecking her lips chastely, winking as he sat back down to sip at his coffee as if nothing had happened.

Sammy sat on the table, wide-eyed and staring into space as her face was beet red, “I hate you,” she pouted.

“You really  _don’t_.” he chuckled knowingly.

She flailed her arms childishly and hopped down to the floor, slightly worried her legs would cave, but thankfully they held firmly. “I…you….” she pointed at him with narrowed eyes, before sighing, “Now I  _really_  need to shoot something.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With more tools to use against Mora at their disposal, it’s time for the group to start forming an actual plan, or rather argue over one.

Shannon sat in her room, looking over the demon lore as she had been for days. Her head shot up momentarily, the sounds of gunshots filtering through the halls once more. She shook her head, laughing to herself, as she continued to read.

A knock came at the door, “Shannon?” Dean’s voice echoed on the other side.

“Fuck,” Shannon muttered to herself, “Uh…yeah?” she said, her voice cracking slightly.

The door clicked before opening and Dean stood in the doorway, eyeing her up suspiciously, “Gonna tell me what’s got you so spooked?”

“I’m not spooked!” she defended, her eyes focused on the books in front of her, “I’m fine! Everything’s fine. Just research, you know?” she showed him the book, her eyes still glued to its pages.

“Interesting,” he nodded, stepping into the room and sitting on the bed beside her, “‘Cause, well, _I_  was under the impression that there are dreams involved, and something I’ve apparently said? And you’re avoiding me.”

Her head shot up at that, utter shock written on her face as she swallowed hard, “I…uh…it’s nothing. Really. A-and I wasn’t avoiding you. I was just…focused…on research.” she squeaked slightly and cleared her throat, giving him a tight smile, before staring back at the book.

Dean raised an eyebrow, a soft chuckle in his throat as his hand sneaked around and closed the book she was reading, “Not buying it,” he shrugged with a cheeky smirk.

She sighed heavily, “Dean, it’s nothing, ok? I’m good. We’re…good.”

“Okay,” he nodded, his head tilting slightly, “If you say so. ‘Cause all morning I’ve just been itching to do this.” He swiftly pulled her to him, capturing her lips with his with a content hum.

She kissed him back, a satisfied sigh leaving her lips as the touch, “Sorry I worried you.” she said truthfully, “Just my brain being stupid.” she laughed lightly.

“Well I must have done  _something_ ,” Dean shook his head with a small chuckle, “But, at least you can look at me now.”

Her cheeks burned hot as she ducked her head bashfully, before shooting back up with confusion, “Wait…how did you know about the dreams?” she asked suddenly.

“Sam said something about you having dreams,” Dean shrugged, “Sammy wouldn’t really say, kept saying  _‘girl talk’_  and something about ‘one step at a time’?” his glance fell on the desk on the other side of the room, the small plaid booties sat on top of it. He could hear his own voice echoing in his head from the night before.

“Oh…” his eyes went wide as realization started to dawn, “ _Oh!_ ”

She looked at him in confusion before following his gaze, her own eyes going wide, “Oh!” she said, jumping from the bed and grabbing the booties, tossing them in a random drawer and leaning against the desk, “Uh…no, no. Not…just weird dreams you know. Uh, all the demon stuff…” she nodded to herself, pursing her lips and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sweetheart,” Dean smirked, rising to meet her and snaking his arms around her waist to hold her close, “Did I freak you out? I’m sorry, I was just teasing.” He bit his bottom lip, tucking some stray hairs behind her ear.

“No,” she breathed out defeated, “You didn’t freak me out. It was…kind of the opposite actually. I just didn’t want to freak  _you_ out.” she pouted, looking down at the floor.

He laughed softly, his finger propping her chin up so their eyes could meet. He kissed her again softly, lingering slightly as he smiled into it. “You’re so cute,” he chuckled hovering over her lips.

“Not cute,” she countered, “I’m a freaking girly, hormonal mess.” she laughed. “It’s…I’m sorry, I am. I just was having  _very_ vivid dreams and it just made things…difficult, I guess.” she sighed, looking up at him and sidestepping to pace the room, “It’s awful!” she finally spoke, staring at the ground as she frantically paced, “I mean, there are demons and powerful forces trying to  _kill_ us and end the world and you and I just really  _started_ this whole ‘us’ thing. But I know the end game of the marks and I always wanted a family, you know? But then I tell myself ‘One step at a time’, but then that only reminds me of what  _you_ said and  _why_ you said it, which just seems to perpetuate the cycle. Meanwhile, my body is going haywire with hormones and…and  _want_ …and the dreams,“ she sighed, groaning, “the dreams  _certainly_ don’t help. And I’m battling myself here, between some epic biological pull and the rational part of my brain telling me I’m being absolutely fucking  _insane_.” she took a gasping breath on the end of her rant, looking up at Dean across the room with a helpless and sad look in her eyes.

Dean’s eyes were wide, but there was a broad smile on his face, “ _Breathe_ ,” he tittered, gently taking her arm she paced and guiding her back to him, “You are  _beyond_ flustered…” he chuckled, “These dreams must be setting high expectations…” his arms snaked up her spine, crossing over and holding the back of her shoulders as he brought her into his chest. “Makes me wonder…” his voice dropped to a sinful whisper, “What you’re going to be like when it’s a reality.”

“Dean!” she whined, blushing and dropping her head to his chest, “It’s not just… _that_ ,” she said, “It’s also dreams about life, in general, with you and with…you know…”

“I’m guessing there’ll be…” he looked up in thought, “Lots of laughter…school runs… day trips out to the beach,” he started smiling, “Movie nights with hot homemade popcorn, get Sam and Snarks to babysit once and a while and do date night…”

She looked up at him in awe, her cheeks burning, “I keep dreaming of you slowly pacing the room with a pink bundle in your arms…” she admitted in a barely audible whisper, feeling extremely vulnerable.

“Girl huh?” his smile impossibly broader, “Then you got to think about Prom Nights, trips to Disneyland to see the Princesses,  _Frozen_ and lots of ‘Let it Go’, then the amount of ‘boyfriends’ assess I’ll have to kick.”

“Why aren’t you freaking out and telling me how insane I am or giving me some speech about jumping the gun or something?”

“‘Selfish and insane, together’” he quoted with a shrug, “You’re not the only one who thinks about this stuff.”

“I’m sorry I avoided you. I didn’t know what to think or do. This whole thing is…intense.”

“It is,” he nodded in agreement, before a devilish smirk played at his lips, “But…ya know ‘one step at a time’.” he chortled.

She laughed, “You know, you can’t say that without making me think of… _things_ now, right?” she chuckled, a genuinely warm smile on her face as she clung to him tighter.

“It’s good for me to have ammunition I can throw out there once and a while,” he joked.

“Don’t mess with me, Winchester,” she teased, “You will  _lose_.”

“No matter what you do,” he replied matter of factly, “I’m never gonna call this a lose situation.”

“Well,” Shannon said, clearing her throat and taking a step back, patting him lightly on the chest, “I should go check on Sammy, seeing as how she’s shooting the crap out of things again.” she laughed, trying to ease the tension.

“Maybe she’s  _actually_ hit the target now,” he joked, pecking her sweetly on the lips and releasing his hold so she could move.

Shannon had made her way to the range, closing the door behind her and getting Sammy’s attention. After briefly chastising her for letting  _anything_ slip, she proceeded to then spill on  _everything_ that had just transpired between her and Dean as she practically hyperventilated with nerves and excitement.

“ _Damn_ ,” Sammy raised an eyebrow and smiled, “You two are  _gross_.”

“Oh, like you and Sam are any better?!” she defended, “You two are all over each other! With the giggles and the swoony eyes…” she mocked teasingly.

“I don’t swoon!” Sammy lied, folding her arms in a sulk, “ and  _Sam_ …-” her cheeks instantly went pink, “- don’t even get me started with him.”

Shannon sauntered towards her, her body and expression showing her sass as she slowly reached out a finger to trace a light, but visible mark along Sammy’s collarbone, “I’m sure he was  _awfully_ persuasive.” she teased.

“H-he got me off guard!” Sammy whined in protest, “That man is…he’s…there are no words, okay?”

“Is that why that poor wall is riddled with holes?” Shannon laughed, “Blowing off some steam?”

“It was either this or a fucking cold shower,” Sammy grumbled, her mind racing back to Sam’s… _methods_ , “I need another clip.”

“I think they  _both_ need to learn a lesson…” Shannon smiled wickedly at her friend.

A nearly inaudible whine passed Sammy’s lips as she donned the ear muffs and reloaded the pistol, gesturing for Shannon to stand back as she went to fire off a few rounds. Sam really had got all up in her head, she couldn’t think straight, never mind try to  _shoot_ straight. That was when the unthinkable happened. A tear in the paper.

“Oh!!!” Sammy jumped in shock, “Look!!! I hit the target!  _I hit the fucking target!!_!”

Shannon squinted, looking at the hanging paper to see Sammy landed a hit between the edge of the paper and the outline of the body. It wasn’t on target, but it was certainly better than the wall. “Hell yeah, you did!” Shannon chimed excitedly, “I guess being frustrated helps your aim.” she teased.

Dean searched the Bunker for Sam, finding him in the Library, looking over the instructions for the crystal spell. Dean was unable to shake the smile from his face as he sat across from his brother, looking like the cat that got the cream, as he waited patiently for Sam to look up and notice him.

“I think I’ve got this spell down,” Sam stated, not looking up, “It’s surprisingly simple actually.” His eyes flitted up, noticing Dean’s extraordinarily happy facade, “What are you grinning at?”

“I talked to Shannon and got her to explain the dream thing to me,” Dean said happily before proceeding to tell him about their conversation, his grin somehow even wider once he finished explaining.

“Wow,” Sam sat back in his chair, mildly shocked, “How… _domestic_ of you. Practically planning your lives out already.”

“Hey, don’t ruin this for me,” Dean pouted, “I just thought you’d like to know that it wasn’t anything like what we were thinking. She just  _fantasizing_ …about me.” he added with a smirk.

“I thought you said she had good taste?” Sam smirked sarcastically.

“The best,” Dean confirmed. “So…that’s sorted, nothing to worry about there.” he nodded towards the papers, “So, whatcha got on the crystal?”

“That’s a relief for sure,” Sam sighed, “The crystal, well, like I said it’s pretty simple, you literally hold it out, speak the incantation and it’ll do its thing, but…there is one small… _issue_.”

“There always is,” Dean groaned, “What’s the issue?”

“Well, it’ll literally take every soul that’s in close proximity,” Sam explained, “So…kinda makes me worry about…well… _our own?_ ”

Dean pondered on his words, “So if we use this thing, it’ll suck up every soul around it and possibly ours too? Then how the hell do we use it while protecting ourselves?”

“Well, that’s the issue,” Sam huffed, “It’s not exactly a road I want to revisit.”

“Not to mention we still need to contend with the small army of demons that constantly surrounds him…” Dean sighed, “Damnit, why are these things always so complicated?!”

“The army? Not a clue,” Sam shrugged in defeat, “The crystal, maybe there’s a spell that can protect us or we find someone to use it who….doesn’t have one?”

“Cas, maybe?” Dean shrugged, “Though I’m willing to bet wherever Mora is holed up is warded to the nines.” he sighed, before perking up slightly, “What if…” he nibbled his lip in thought, “You remember how that nun told us about Abaddon stealing souls and bottling them up?”

“What?” Sam grimaced slightly, “Are you suggesting we remove our souls like…temporarily?”

“No,” Dean scoffed, “ _We_ aren’t…I am.”

“Out of the question,” Sam said firmly, “The things _I_  did when I was soulless? It makes you become completely unpredictable, no morals. It’s not happening, Dean.”

“What choice do we have? It’s a temporary removal, or a permanent one if we use the crystal.” he argued, “Look, we do the spell, you keep me in a jar or something, and after we can just put it back.” he shrugged, “No biggie.”

“ _No biggie!?_ ” Sam looked aghast, “Dean, do you not remember how I nearly let you get turned into a damn vampire? We let you go soulless, fucking  _who knows_  what you’ll just  _let_ happen ‘cause you simply just won’t care!”

“Can’t be any worse than when I was a demon, Sam. And you managed to handle that just fine!”

“Look, can’t we just try asking Cas? Or hell, why not Crowley? He’s the one that wants Mora gone so damn bad so he can step up too.”

“Right. Because Crowley would be so willing to hand over a crystal full of soul power back to us!” Dean roared, “Look, find me another way and I’m all ears. But for now, I don’t see another option.”

Sam rubbed his hand down his face, irritated but unable to think of a counter-argument, “There will be another way, Dean. Just need to find it.”

Dean and Sam had brought the girls to the Library and filled them in on what they had discovered, leaving out the part about Dean’s intended sacrifice at Dean’s insistence. He had prayed to Cas, who showed up instantly, with a smirking Gabriel at his side.

“Hello, Winchesters,” Gabe chirped happily, before giving a slightly saucy look at the girls, “Hello again, Ladies.” he wiggled his brows, “Did you enjoy my gift?”

“Oh my God, you even had the audacity to come to the door and pretend to be a deliveryman?” Sammy grunted at the sight of the Archangel.

“Well, I certainly see why you call her  _Snarky_.” he shot back with a glare.

“We don’t have time for this,” Cas sighed, “Why did you call us here, Dean?”

“We have a plan,” Dean answered, ignoring Sammy’s whiney mumbling about her new nickname catching on, “But, it’s complicated and we may need your help with it.”

“I can try,” Cas stated, “though I won’t be able to join you in battle. Mora has protected himself against Angels.”

“This,” Sam held up the crystal, “We know it’ll drain Mora’s soul power, but it would take our own souls too. You did realize that right?” he looked at Gabriel.

Gabe thought on it for a moment before shrugging and chuckling, “Okay, yeah…uh…I might have missed that one.” he shrugged again.

“So we thought,” Dean continued, “If we find a way to get through Mora’s Demon army so we can actually  _use_ the crystal, could I take my soul out, do the thing, and…put it back after?”

“Wait, what?!” Shannon’s eyes went wide, looking at Dean who bristled slightly at her shout, keeping his gaze focused on the Angels.

“Technically we could but,” Cas looked at Dean questioningly, “You do realize that removing your soul would then remove the Bond, right?”

“ _That_ would remove it?” Dean’s eyes went wide momentarily, “Well…so what does it matter? My feelings aren’t going to change so, the Bond doesn’t even matter anymore,” he glanced at Shannon, throwing her a reassuring wink, “Like I said, you’re stuck with me now Sweetheart,” he smirked cheekily.

Shannon choked on a sob, trying to fight back her tears and wrap her head around what she was hearing.

“Dean, without a soul you won’t feel  _anything_ ,” Cas corrected him.

“Not to mention,” Gabe spoke up, “That there’s still the teeny, tiny matter of a child being conceived of the Bond.”

“Well, we’d put my damn soul back afterward!” Dean protested, “It’s just temporary!”

“Dean” Sam sighed, “If we remove your soul, the Bond is gone. So even when we put it back, there is no Bond anymore. They just said a child needs to be conceived  _with_ the Bond intact.”

“We won’t remove your soul Dean,” Cas said firmly, “Continuing the bloodline is more important to Heaven than Mora.”

“Well…” Sammy spoke up, frowning slightly, “Why don’t Dean and Shannon just conceive before kicking Mora’s ass? Problem solved!” she leaned back in her seat, smiling smugly at her own self affirmed brilliance.

Sam looked at Sammy in thought before turning to Dean with a shrug, “She has a point…” he mumbled.

“Hey!” Shannon finally spoke up, her voice shaky, “Do I get a say in this?! Dean…you  _can’t_ do this,” she pleaded, “Please don’t do this…” she whimpered. “Isn’t there some sort of spell or protection to keep their souls in place while they use the crystal?” she looked frantically between the Angels.

“Or  _Sam_ could do it,” Gabriel shrugged, “There’s only  _one_ child of the bond needed after all.”

“Hell no!” Sammy shrieked, clutching Sam’s arm, “Nuh-uh, no one’s touching his soul, ya hear me!?”

“Oh, but it’s fine for me to do it?!” Dean shouted in shock at Sammy.

“Babe,” Sam sighed, looking briefly at each person in the room before turning his full attention to her, resting his hand over hers where it was on his arm, “Someone has to use this crystal, for one. And the Angels won’t let us remove a soul unless there’s a child. I know how you feel about that, and I’m not blaming you,” he said, seeing her about to protest, “We talked about this. It’s gonna end up being Shannon and Dean, eventually. But that means that I  _have_ to be the one to do this.” he sighed.

“B-but…” she whimpered, looking up at him, eyes full of anxiety, “W-what if…without the bond, you don’t wanna…you…won’t look at me anymore?”

“Not having that Bond won’t change how I feel about you, Baby.” he insisted, “If anything, it’ll let you know that what I feel is real.” he smirked then, “And take off the pressure from Heaven,” he added in a whisper just for her.

“Huh… _true_ …” she mumbled, but couldn’t shake the anxiety from her heart, “H-how do you even remove a soul? It won’t hurt him will it?”

“Removing and returning one’s soul is excruciatingly painful,” Cas stated.

“Sam,” Dean urged, “I can’t let you do this. Not again.” he said, the hurt showing in his eyes, “You fought us tooth and nail from putting it back last time.”

“There was a  _last_ time!?” Sammy screeched, “Nope. No way. I’m with Shannon, there’s gotta be another way. _No soul removing!_ ”

“Uh,” Gabe piped up, raising a finger for emphasis, “If we don’t do a temporary removal, they will both  _permanently_ lose their souls when it’s consumed by the crystal.”

“S-so we hit the books!” Sammy said quickly, desperately clutching at straws, “Find a-a  _spell_ or something that’ll protect them, I don’t know!”

_“I_  may be able to help with that,” said Crowley, appearing suddenly in the room with a red-haired woman, “Hello Gents, Ladies.” he smiled at the group.

“I can see why Dean gets so pissed at nobody using doors around here,” Sammy groaned, sinking in her seat and getting overwhelmed.

Cas took a menacing step towards the King of Hell, Dean stopping him with a hand on his chest as he stepped towards Crowley, “So…how are you gonna help?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well,” Crowley said, gesturing to the woman beside him, “Rowena still had the Book of the Damned in her possession. She can turn you into a demon again. It’ll register as ‘soulless’ when using the crystal, but keep your Bond intact since your soul won’t be removed.” he explained, “Then Sam can do his thing like before, yada, yada…”

“Demon?! You were a d-demon?!” Shannon shrieked, taking several steps away from Dean as she cowered somewhere between Sam and Sammy for protection.

“Aren’t we learning  _lots_ of new information today,” Sammy held Shannon close and stared the boys down, “I’m seriously not liking  _any_ of these options, just to put it out there.”

“No way,” Sam argued, shaking his head adamantly, “You are  _not_ turning yourself into a demon again!” he said to Dean firmly.

“Oh, and I’m gonna let you walk around Soulless again?!” Dean countered.

“ _No soul removing!!_ ” both girls shrieked together.

“Or just find some fall guy to use the crystal, lose his soul, then kill him so there isn’t a soulless freak wandering about,” Shannon grumbled.

“Works for me,” Sammy huffed.

The whole room looked at them both, completely taken aback.

“No!” Dean eventually barked.

“Oh, it’s not like we freaking meant it,” Sammy scoffed.

“Is everything in your lives always this freaking complicated and dark?” Shannon sighed. “Come on, there has to be some way around all of this!”

“It’s pretty par for the course, actually,” Sam said, looking at the girls apologetically.

“This,” Dean said, gesturing with his hands, “All of this shit is exactly why I fought so hard against pulling you all into our lives in the beginning,” he explained, defeated. “It’s shit like this I was trying to avoid,” he whispered.

“Well, this is all  _fascinating_ ,” Gabe rolled his eyes, “But the longer we all stand around yapping, the stronger Mora gets. So, either Dean makes a Baby and loses his soul - or goes dark side - or Sam loses his soul. Either way, a Bond is being broken  _after_ conception occurs. So…what’s it gonna be guys?”

“If Dean goes demon, he won’t lose his Bond,” Sam sighed.

“Yes, but we also run the risk that Dean will just decide to not be helpful with Mora, or to even steal the crystal afterward.” Cas sighed.

“I can’t…I can’t do this.” Shannon whined, running from the room to lock herself in her bedroom, finally letting the tears fall as panic and hopelessness took over.

All eyes fell on Dean, waiting for him to make a decision.

“I could just whip up a wee little lust and fertility spell,” Rowena whispered to Crowley.

Dean sighed, looking at Sam as they shared a silent conversation and Sam’s shoulders slumped. Dean turned to Cas, “We stick with the original plan.” he said, squaring his shoulders, “Yank my soul out and put it back after. It’s the only way.”

“Are you fucking serious!?” Sammy hopped to her feet, looking at Dean is disbelief, “You  _can’t_!”

“Calm down, Snarks,” Dean barked at her, “I’ll…handle the other stuff too.” he sighed, shaking his head. “Getting rid of Mora is too important.”

“ _Enough with the fucking Snarks!_ ” Sammy bellowed, fire in her eyes, “You got some fucking hero complex like I’ve never seen,” she squared up to him, having to stand on tiptoes to reach eye level with him, “What about Shannon huh? You’re so wrapped up in yourself you’re not  _thinking_ about how she feels! I’d rather you all yanked  _my_ fucking soul out instead of break her heart!”

“No!” Dean and Sam barked at her, “I get you’re pissed,” Dean glowered down at her, standing at his full height, “Hell,  _I’m_ pissed. You really think I want to hurt her?! But there is no other way!”

“Shannon and I have  _both_ said, what if there’s a spell that could protect your souls from the crystal!?” she practically screamed with rage, “No one will even consider it! But hey,” she slumped slightly, panting for breath after shouting, “What do we know huh? We’re just the fucking damsels right?”

“Beg pardon,” Rowena stated, stepping towards the table, “You all are  _Soulmates_ , correct?” she said, looking at Dean for confirmation. “I may have a spell that could work. I can use your Soulmates’ soul, or rather the power of that soul, to sort of…cloak you in  _her_ soul, thus protecting your own from the crystal.” she shrugged, “It would certainly  _drain_ you both exponentially, but your souls would remain intact and bonded.”

Sammy stood, mouth slightly agape before she folded her arms and turned to face the boys with a smug-ish smirk, “Well what do you know?” she gloated, “An  _actual_ viable option.”

“That could work,” Sam shrugged, looking at Dean. “Do you think she’d do it?”

“If she feels the same as I do,” Sammy stated, “I think she’d do it in a heartbeat,” she looked at Sam and shrugged.

“Alright, that just leaves the matter of getting through the hordes of demons…” Sam sighed.

“I’ll see what I can come up with,” Rowena smiled, her eyes drifting over Sammy almost hungrily, “Care to help me, Darling?”

“Uh…” Sammy was slightly shocked at the question, but Rowena was the only one to come up with a plan she agreed with so she felt an element of trust there, “Sure…”

“Fabulous!” Rowena said, scrunching her nose happily.

“Rowena,” Sam said, his tone warning, “Whatever you’re planning, remember what Billie said…”

“Billie?” Sammy wasn’t sure if she really wanted to know.

“Don’t you worry, Darling,” Rowena said, taking Sammy’s hand and patting it gently, “I’ll explain everything to you later.” she smiled, “Come along,” she said, dragging Sammy off through the Bunker.

“Yes, well, let me know if you need anything else,” Crowley smirked, before disappearing, Gabe leaving as well.

“Dean,” Cas said, leaning in close to whisper to him, “Don’t forget about Heaven’s agenda,” he warned, before leaving.

The room fell ominously silent now it was only Sam and Dean present. They looked at each other, before sighing in unison.

“You gotta keep that girl of yours under control,” Dean grunted, “Shouting my ass off like that…”

Sam scoffed, huffing a small laugh, “She’s not wrong, Dean.” he defended.

“Whatever,” Dean bit back childishly, “I guess we nearly have a full plan now.”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, “Thanks to  _Sammy_.” he emphasized, “You and I are so quick to throw ourselves into the fire. Meanwhile, she’s  _adamantly_ looking for some way to do this without us having to sacrifice anything. And because of her persistence, we found a way.” he huffed, “So maybe chill on the wounded martyr complex and be grateful for what she’s done.”

Dean rolled his eyes but didn’t argue back. After a pause, he shuffled on his feet, “I better fill Shannon in on what’s going on.”

“Try groveling,” Sam rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the papers on the table, “Probably best on your knees…begging for forgiveness for being an ass… _again_.”

“Are you done?” Dean glared him down.

Sam snorted, shaking his head, “She left the room in tears after you were ready to sacrifice yourself. Not to mention you said, and I quote, _‘the Bond doesn’t matter’_.” he glared at Dean before sighing, lowing himself into a chair, “You’re so screwed…”

“What?” Dean shook his head in confusion, “B-but I mean that we don’t  _need_ the damn Bond! I love her regardless!”

Sam slowly raised his head, looking at Dean in shock, “You… _love_ her?” Sam said, rarely hearing those words from Dean, “You…might want to say that to her?” he suggested.

“Right…” Dean haltered for a moment, even shocking himself at how easy it felt to drop the L bomb, now however there were nerves about saying it  _to_ her, “Okay, y-yeah I will.”

“Mass amounts of groveling!” Sam yelled after him as Dean left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy learns a new skill and the group is finally ready to face off against Mora.

Dean realized as he walked that this was the third time he was walking these halls in search of Shannon to ‘grovel’ as Sam would put it. He shook his head, thinking what a real jackass he was. With a long sigh, he tapped on the door. **  
**

Shannon opened the door with a sigh, seeing Dean, her face immediately becoming angry again as she moved to shut the door once more. “Go away!”

“Shannon!” Dean yelled in shock, quickly pushing his hand on the door to stop it completely shutting, “Can I just  _talk_  to you!?”

“What for, Dean?” she growled, still fighting to shut the door, “Let go!”

“Jeez, you’re freaking strong!” Dean muttered, now putting his boot between the door and the frame, “I’m not going Shannon, I’ll talk to you from out here if I have to.”

She growled in frustration, letting go of the door and stomping back into her room, crossing her arms over her chest, “Fine! Talk!”

He sighed with relief, stepping into the room and recollecting his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye somehow he spotted a glimpse of red plaid poking out of the top of the little trash can.

“Oh c’ mon…” he whined, stepping over to the bin and pulling out the teeny pair of boots, “Really?”

“Are you gonna talk or…” Shannon said, her tone dripping with venom. **  
**

“Okay,” he drew out the word, while he still tried to prepare a sentence, the booties hanging from his fingertips, “So…we’ve found another way to sort out the problem. No souls getting yanked, no turning into demons…it’s an a… _semi_  safe alternative.”

“So what’s the new plan?” she sighed.

“Rowena said she can do a spell, using…” he hesitated, “ _your_  soul or Sammy’s I guess, to cloak either me or Sam and it would protect us from the crystal’s effects. However, she mentioned it would be incredibly draining on you both.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure you’re not about to let Sam do it, what with your hero complex and all,” she sighed, “And I wouldn’t put Sammy in harm’s way.” she added, her shoulders slumping slightly, “But I guess it’s a solution that doesn’t involve  _destroying_  anyone…”

“Right…” Dean nodded, scratching his head awkwardly, “Sam said…maybe me and him are too quick to jump to conclusions where it involves one of us getting seriously fucked up. You’ve got Sammy to thank really, she…heh, she’s got a way with words.”

“She chewed your ass, didn’t she?” Shannon said with a satisfied smirk.

“A little,” he rolled his eyes, “But…she has a  _point_ , and I’m sorry.”

“When the time comes, I’ll do my part, lend my soul, or whatever,” she said, ignoring his apology, “Is that all?”

Her words were like icy daggers cutting into his skin, he could hear Sam in the back of his mind repeatedly chanting ‘grovel’ and he internally told his little brother to fuck off. “Shannon…” he said tentatively, daring to take a step closer, “I…I really am sorry. I should’ve thought more about how you felt.”

“It doesn’t  _matter_ , right Dean?” she scowled. “I said I’d help when the time came.”

“Of course it matters,” he quickly countered, realizing the small tinge of anger in his voice and breathing deeply to hold it back, “Baby, you’re  _all_  that matters.”

“You pushed me away, Dean. Then you come back to apologize, then you make all these…innuendos about the future. And  _then_  you turn around, ready to throw it all away because ‘it doesn’t matter’.” she huffed out, “You’re all over the place!” she shouted, reigning herself back in, “Look, we should be focusing on Mora right now, right? We have the sword, we have the crystal, we’ll do the soul spell…let’s just get this done and move on.” she pleaded.

“No.,” he said firmly, standing his ground, “Fuck Mora, that dick isn’t important to me right now,  _you_ are!”

“And in a few days, you’ll find some way to hurt me all over again. I’m not doing this, Dean.” she said firmly, “If it wasn’t for the Bond, you wouldn’t even be here, saying these things. So focus on Mora - which  _is_  important - and after…” she sighed, shaking her head. “Doesn’t matter…” she grumbled to herself.

“The bond, the bond,  _the bond_ ,” Dean rolled his eyes in frustration, “ _Fuck the damn bond_! The reason I said the bond doesn’t matter, and I would’ve gone soulless is because…” he choked on his words, a lump forming that he gulped down painfully, “b-because bond or no bond, I  _love_  you, Shannon!” **  
**

“You…” her arms fell to her sides, shocked, “What?” she breathed out, dazed.

“I…” he started to say it again, a smile tugging on his lips, “I love you, Shannon,” he took another daring step closer.

“So,” she took a step towards him in response, almost automatically, “So you didn’t mean what you said out there?” she asked hesitantly, “You weren’t just trying to break the Bond or end this?”

“I wasn’t  _trying_  to break it,” Dean clarified, “I just knew that even if it did break, I’d still love you. We don’t need it.” He raised his hand, the booties still hanging from his fingers, “And I certainly don’t wanna see these in the trash.”

“I thought you hated those things,” she teased, stepping closer to him with a small smile.

He smirked, looking the boots over and shrugging, “They’re cute.”

“Oh, I am  _so_  telling on you!” she laughed.

“I guess I deserve that,” he chuckled, quickly closing the distance between them and scooping her into a tight embrace, “We good?”

“Yeah,” she breathed into his chest, enjoying his embrace, “This whole thing is insane, but yeah, we’re good,” she smiled, looking up at him.

He smiled in return, looking into her eyes and lightly biting his bottom lip, “I’m glad,” he said softly, gently pecking her lips.

“You should seriously work on the wording and thinking about things before you speak,” she teased.

“Noted.”

Rowena had guided Sammy to one of the labs that served as a storeroom, leaving her by a table as she perused the shelves and started gathering items. **  
**

“I didn’t want to say anything, what with the Winchesters around, but I sensed a bit of natural talent in you,” she smirked over her shoulder at Sammy as she continued searching for items.

“A bit of what now?” Sammy raised an eyebrow, completely confused, “I thought we were supposed to be looking for a way to get through the Demon hordes?”

“Oh, we are, Dearie,” Rowena insisted, pulling items from the shelves, “Some witches get their powers from artifacts and objects,” she began explaining, “some can study and achieve a small amount of magical ability. But others, such as myself, have a natural ability for magic.” she smiled, coming back to the table and setting down a variety of items, “And you, my Dear, are a natural.”

“I’m not a  _natural_  at anything,” Sammy scoffed, “I…I don’t think Sam or Dean would approve…”

“Probably not,” Rowena sighed, “They do dislike witches, especially Dean,” she rolled her eyes, “But a little spell here or there is harmless, really.” she encouraged, “I understand if you’re scared, Sweetie, I’m just offering to teach you a little something if you’re interested.”

“It’s not like I’m in Dean’s good books right now anyway,” Sammy smirked, curiosity creeping in, “Okay, I’ll play ball for now.”

“Wonderful!” Rowena declared with delight, “Now before I show you a few handy tricks, let’s get this spell together, shall we?” she hummed, grabbing a mortar and pestle and setting it on the table. She set her bag on the table, rummaging through and pulling out several items. It looked like several embroidered cloths, some herbs, gems, and…bones?

“W-what are those?” Sammy asked hesitantly, eyeing the bones on the table.

“Hmm?” Rowena followed her gaze, “Oh, not to worry. Just a few charred animal bones. Standard really for most hex bags and spells.” she explained lightly.

“Hex bags?” Sammy asked hesitantly with a raised brow, “ _That_  doesn’t sound pleasant.”

“Well, generally, no,” Rowena admitted, gently brushing her bangs to the side with a delicate finger, “Hexes generally provide some sort of curse against the intended target, by placing them within the same room or on the person,” she explained as she sorted through items and began laying them on the embroidered cloths, “But for this particular one, we are creating a sort of…demon-targeted grenade?” she said with a smirk.

“A demon grenade?” Sammy asked, suddenly intrigued and moving closer, “So like, they throw the bag at the demons and they explode?”

“More like choke on their own essence and melt into a pile of goo,” Rowena corrected, “We can make a few for them to use. It won’t stop a small army, but it’ll take quite a few out.”

Sammy sighed, rubbing her forehead and feeling defeated, “We’re supposed to help them defeat an Army!” she protested. **  
**

“Aye,” Rowena nodded her head, “Which is why I’ll be showing you a few things.” she smiled.

“Who, wait…no! No!” Sammy shook her head, “I’m not going  _with_  them,” she squeaked, “Sam and Dean wouldn’t let us anywhere near all of that, I’m sure!”

“Well, your friend will have to be in close proximity to Dean for the cloaking spell to work,” she explained, “And it’ll take more than just one witch against all those demons. So I’ll show you a few things, such as creating magic warding barriers, which act like shields, some illusion magic to help disorient our foes, and the like.”

“I-I don’t know, Rowena,” Sammy struggled with wanting to help and the desire to learn magic, but also with how angry and disappointed Sam and Dean might be.

“Not to mention, someone will need to be looking out for your friend while she grows weak, walking beside Dean to protect him…” Rowena added, slyly glancing up from her work to see as Sammy seemed to make up her mind, a smirk tugging at Rowena’s lips, knowing she had convinced her.

“I didn’t think about that. If Sam and Dean are fighting the demons, draining Mora, and then killing him, Shannon is left unprotected…” she nibbled her lip in thought, “I won’t let anything happen to her. She’s my Wifey, after all.” Sammy smiled, “Okay…let’s do this.”

“No! No way! Nuh-uh!” Dean said, shaking his head as Rowena and Sammy explained the work they had done, “Nope. Not happening. You two are staying  _here_!” **  
**

“Well  _I’m_  not going back to square one on this,” Sammy huffed, rolling her eyes, “It’s  _fine_! We got it all planned out, right Rowena?”

“Of course!” Rowena smiled, “It’s all hands after all, isn’t it boys?” she quirked a brow at the brothers.

“Dean, we can’t go back on the plan now. You were fine with Shannon using her soul as a shield…” Sam said, knowing even if he didn’t like it, it was still the best plan they had.

“I agree, Dean,” Shannon sighed, seeing his crestfallen look, “No, just listen. If we don’t do this, it’s back to losing souls or turning dark side and none of us want that. This is the best way. Let us help. It’s our fight too.”

“Looks like  _you’re_  outvoted,” Sammy cheeped.

“I just…I…” Dean tried to argue, before throwing his hands up in frustration, “Fine.  _Fine_ , but I stand by the fact that I really don’t like the fact we’re taking two  _noobs_  into the battlefield.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Sam mumbled.

“This is  _different_!” Dean hissed.

“I  _understand_ ,” Sam said, empathizing with Dean’s sentiments, “But we decided that, regardless of everything, we wanted them in our lives. And, unfortunately, that means they’ll get mixed in from time to time. I don’t like it any more than you do, but we can’t just keep them locked in the Bunker in hiding forever, Dean.” **  
**

Dean tutted, leaning back in his seat in a sulk, “I know…”

“C’ mon Dean,” Sammy tried to bring him around, “I’ll watch your girl, don’t worry. Ain’t nobody getting near my wifey, you should feel lucky that I even share.”

Dean smirked in spite of himself, “And you say  _I’m_  an ass…” he laughed lightly, looking up at her. “You sure you can do this?” he asked her in all seriousness.

“I got this!” she answered confidently, “I’m a…heh… _natural_  after all.”

“What?” Sam said, looking between her and Rowena, “A natural what? Witch?!”

“You didn’t think I was gonna send the wee girl out there with no tricks up her sleeve?” Rowena purred, “She’s got the talent, you didn’t think she was going to protect Shannon with that peashooter you gave her did you?”

“Sammy,” Sam whined, coming to stand before her, “Baby, magic is…once people start delving into it, it takes them over. It’s why we  _hunt_  Witches,” Sam said, casting a glare at Rowena, “Because they can’t help themselves and aren’t  _human_  anymore.”

“But…you two use magic and spells all the time.” Shannon pointed out, causing Sam to groan.

“It’s  _different_!” he protested, “Dean…help me out here…”

“You forgetting about the twins Sam?” Dean countered, “I dunno, Sammy doesn’t strike me as the type to go dark side, hell it could…be useful actually.”

“I really hate you right now,” Sam hissed at his brother.

“D-does,” Sammy glanced at Sam looking slightly hurt, “Does it bother you that much? I didn’t know…”

“It’s not that,” he sighed, “I just know what it’s like to…have a natural ability and watch it change you…” he said vaguely, blushing slightly with shame.

“That genuinely is different,” Dean frowned at his brother, “That’s in the past, and you thought you were doing the right thing. You’re here now aren’t you? We all have… _blips_.”

“Fine,” Sam sighed in defeat, “We have a plan. Now we just need to execute it.”

“ _Finally_  everyone is all in agreement,” Rowena piped up, “Honestly, it’s like trying to draw blood from a stone with you boys sometimes.”

The group entered the large chamber, looking like an elaborate Library, with shelves lined with endless books reaching floor to ceiling. As they slowly stepped over the threshold, the large wooden doors slammed closed behind them, the sound echoing menacingly in the space around them. **  
**

“Son of a bitch,” Dean grumbled, as he and Sam struggled to push and pull at the doors, “Dammit!” he growled, slamming a fist against the wooden surface.

“Rowena’s on the other side,” Sam groaned, turning around to look at the room once more before his eye caught movement. He tapped on Dean’s shoulder, pointing and drawing his attention to the figure.

A tall and thin man, with glasses perched on the end of his nose, strode from the rows of books, reading a tome in his hands, looking very old and frail.

“No need for fifth wheels,” the man spoke, his attention still on his book as he took a seat behind a small reading table.

“ _That’s_  Mora?” Sammy whispered under her breath, “Not…exactly what I expected…”

“Were you expecting a dark mass of tentacles,” the man spoke, finally looking up from his reading and clasping his hands together on the table’s surface, “Mere embellishments for the sake of entertainment.” he shrugged.

“Mora,” Dean spoke up, standing at the front of the group, “It’s the end of the road man, you got this chance to just walk away and never show your face again.”

“Dean Winchester,” Mora smiled warmly, “The man, the myth, the  _demon_ …it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m not exactly floating that way anymore,” Dean shrugged, “Demon didn’t suit me.”

“On the contrary,” Mora countered, “I think we both know it suited you quite well,” he smirked. “And Sam Winchester…the Boy King, would-be ruler of Hell.”

“Didn’t quite pan out,” Sam said lowly with narrowed threatening eyes.

“Uh…did he just say ruler of Hell?” Sammy squeaked as quiet as she could to Shannon.

“Oh, now  _that’s_  truly interesting,” said Mora with a wide grin, “They are your Soulmates, but yet they know nothing.” he hummed in thought. In a blink, Sammy and Shannon were at Mora’s side, catching the boys off guard. Before they could move, Mora placed a hand on both of their heads, and they screamed as they fell to their knees, promptly passing out.

“What did you do?!” Dean shouted, racing towards them as Mora turned, an invisible force holding both brothers in place.

“ _Enlightened_  them.” he said smugly, “Soulmates shouldn’t have secrets.”

“You leave them out of this!” Sam bellowed, “They’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Perhaps,” Mora shrugged, slowly approaching the Winchesters, “But Winchester Soulmates…now  _that’s_  something awfully powerful. Control the Soulmate, control the Winchester. I’m not the only one who realizes this…just the  _first_.” **  
**

Both brothers were visibly shaking with nearly uncontrollable rage. Dean practically snarled at the Daedric Prince, “Yeah well, we’ll stop you and  _anyone_  else that tries!”

“You are known for your persistence,” Mora admitted, “How about a…game?” he smiled at the pair. “You see, I am well aware of the cloaking that surrounds you, Dean. Its power comes from Shannon’s soul, draining her. Do you know why it drains her? Of course, you don’t. Because it is slowly siphoning off her soul’s power. After too long, the spell will completely consume her soul.” he smirked at the pair as he clasped his hands behind his back, pacing slightly, “Now, if your  _plan_  had worked as you intended, no harm, no foul. But I think we should up the ante a bit, hmm?”

“Y-you’re lying,” Dean stuttered with wide eyes before growling, “No! Rowena would have warned us if that could happen!”

“Would she?” he asked, brows raised in surprise, “The mother of my enemy? Even your enemy at that. Not to mention Book of the Damned magic, which always has its price…” he huffed a laugh, “If I am around, and at full power, Rowena loses her advantage of sneakery. Not to mention, she’s after  _my_  book of knowledge. Rowena is, and always will be, looking out for herself.”

“Son of a bitch…” Dean’s head dropped as every word from Mora felt like another dagger in his back.

“Now, I know that you have the crystal and the sword, both of which will most definitely remove my power and kill me for good.” he said, noticing the brother’s looks of surprise at the admission, “And assuming you could use them within the next hour, Shannon would be fine.” he stood before them, his expression turned hard and cold, “So let’s see how long it takes you to play my game. If you take too long…I’m afraid you would have consumed your Soulmates soul.” he smiled, before snapping his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, Dean felt like he’d been teleported. He was alone, stood in a narrow gap between two walls that stretched high into the dark green sky.

“What the hell?” he mumbled to himself, noticing the walls seemed to be made up of hundreds upon thousands of stacked books. He turned, watching as a road of sorts stretched out from where he stood on either side, visible twists and turns in the distance.

“Sam!?” he called out, “Shannon!?”

“Dean!” he heard the familiar sound of his brothers voice echoing in the distance. Dean took off towards the sound, the two calling out for one another repeatedly as they searched. Dean finally came to a locked iron gate, seeing Sam tugging harshly on it from the other side.

“Dean! Where the Hell are we?” Sam breathed out, trying to wrestle with the gate. “Have you seen Sammy or Shannon?”

“No…” Dean answered, panic evident in his voice as a cold sweat formed on his brow, “I don’t know where the hell we are, but we got to find our way out,  _fast_.” **  
**

“Dean, look out!” Sam yelled, pointing behind Dean. As Dean turned, he saw a tall figure, with a squid-like face and tentacles as a sort of beard, wearing long black, monk-like robes approaching him. It spat forth a glob of inky black goo and Dean dodged it, watching as it slammed into the gate behind him, the doors swinging open.

Sam practically leaped to Dean’s side, quickly drawing out his pistol in one hand and the demon blade in the other. He fired countless rounds into the creature, it flinched slightly at each bullet but didn’t seem all that affected by the gunfire. “Dean!” Sam yelled, “The sword!”

Dean looked down at his hand, the sword shining with its own light as he raised it high, swinging and slicing through the creature, watching as it screeched a howl, its robes falling to the ground in a pile.

“Well shit.” Dean breathed out, going over and searching the robes, finding some sort of black staff with a crystal atop it surface underneath them. “Uh…hmm…” he said, examining the staff, looking over at Sam.

“What?” Sam looked at Dean, confused, “Y-you want me to try using that thing?”

“I don’t know, Sam!” Dean said in a huff, adjusting his hold on the staff and jumping slightly as a spark shot from the crystal, exploding into a pile of books against the far wall, “Oh!”

“Dude!” Sam jumped in surprise, before snatching the staff from Dean, who glared at him, “What? I bet it works better than the gun.”

“You seem a bit too excited over that thing,” Dean shook his head, walking through the now open gate, “Which way did you come from?”

“Uh…” Sam looked up and down the passage, trying to get his bearings, “From…that way I think?” he pointed to the south.

“Alright, let’s go this way,” Dean said, going the opposite direction.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys find Sammy, and use her new tricks to search for Shannon, leading to the final confrontation with Mora.

“Oh my God  _please_ go away!” Sammy squeaked in panic, holding her arms up and a blue colored light barrier in front of her, there were two of the tentacled creatures honing in, struggling against her spell but not retreating, “I  _said_ back off!!”

One of the creatures screeched in pain as it fell into a pile of robes, the other creature turning to face the threat as Sam and Dean came rushing forward. Sam angled the staff, pointing it at the creature, a spark of energy shooting forth and the creature disappearing into another pile of robes.

“Hey, you okay?” Sam said, rushing to Sammy and dropping the staff, wrapping her tightly in his arms.

“Sam!” she cried in relief, clinging to him tightly, “ _Shit_ am I glad to see you!”

“This one dropped a short sword,” Dean said, flipping it in his hand and thrusting the hilt towards Sammy, “Come on, we still gotta find Shannon  _and_ find a way out of here before her soul burns off.”

“Before  _what_!?” Sammy shrieked, taking the sword and looking at it like it’s some kind of foreign object, “Dean, what the hell is going on!? Where are we!?”

“Mora,” Sam said, picking up the staff and grabbing Sammy’s hand, “He sent us to whatever this place is. Said the spell Rowena used on Shannon’s soul is draining its power. We only have so much time before the cloaking burns off her soul completely.” he explained in a huff.

“Have you seen her?” Dean added worriedly.

“N-no…” Sammy mumbled, her eyes wide with panic, “ _but_ , let me try something…” she squinted her eyes closed, mumbling what sounded like nonsense, her voice going high on the last syllable like she was questioning what she just said. She opened her eyes, looking around expectantly but nothing seemed to have happened.

Sam stared at her with a quirked brow, “What was that?”

“I…I’m not sure if I’m remembering it right,” she mumbled, eyes scanning around, “Rowena told me so much crap at once, it…I’m not sure if all of it sunk in…oh!” she pointed excitedly ahead of them, a floating blue light hovering in the distance and shooting around a corner, “Go go go! Follow it!”

“What?” Dean mumbled, shaking his head and taking off after the light, Sam following, tugging Sammy by the hand as they followed the floating blue orb through the winding halls.

“I-it hones in on soul energy or something,” Sammy explained briefly, “Rowena said it could come in handy for tracking Mora down, if Shannon’s souls is effectively exposed right now, maybe it’ll lead us to her?”

Sam smirked a side glance at her as they continued to hurry off after the light, “Pretty brilliant, actually.” he said, a tinge of pride in his voice.

“Well…” Sammy mumbled bashfully, “We’ll see if it actually leads us to her first…”

They followed the light to what looked like an outdoor clearing, the smokey green sky swirling above them, a dark murky green water surrounding the wider, iron-grated walkways. Dean stopped, watching at the orb took a sharp turn upwards and disappeared behind a gated door.

“Dean!” Shannon screamed, “Don’t!” she warned.

“Shannon!” Dean called out, rushing in her direction, “Baby, you okay!?”

As he drew close to the ramp, the ground shook, ripples forming in the murky water as a monstrous figure emerged, a humanoid swamp looking creature that towered close to twelve feet tall. It stepped forward out of the water, sending forth a warning screech that sent a shockwave at the group.

“Dean! Run!” Shannon screamed in terror, watching as the creature approached her friends.

“The  _fuck_ is that!?” Sammy squealed in terror, holding up the sword Dean gave her, struggling slightly with the weight of it.

Sam pulled Sammy behind him protectively as he used the staff to shoot at the creature. It shrieked, it’s arm swinging back from the force of the hit, but it continued to advance.

“I think you’re just pissing it off,” Dean growled, holding up the glowing sword in his grasp and charging for the thing. He could hear the Sammys shouting after him as he swung the sword, crashing it into the creature with a roar.

A gaping slash appeared in the creature’s chest from the hit, a light emanating from within as the creature roared, swinging its arm and backhanding Dean, sending him flying back and crashing with a painful thud at Sam’s feet.

“Dean!” Sam yelled, getting no response from his brother. He looked back up at the creature who was advancing towards them once more. With a snarl, Sam raised the staff and started firing numerous shots at the thing, each spark colliding with it with a zap. The figure grunted and growled with each hit, but it didn’t stop moving. It raised its arm, tendrils of black smoke emanating from it and heading for the trio.

Sam cursed, quickly retrieving Dean’s sword and swinging in an arch as the tendrils reached them. It cut through easily, the monster recoiling and screeching in pain.

Sam could hear mumbling from behind him before a familiar looking blue light screen appeared in front of them all. Sammy was holding her hand up again, but her eyes looked pained. The creature began to frantically cry and wail, unable to pass through the barrier.

“Wha-” Sam exclaimed, turning and looking at Sammy, “A shield?” he asked, surprised.

“I dunno!” she yelled, “I’m improvising!” she started walking forwards, the shield moving with her, effectively pushing the creature back towards the water, “Get the staff!” she yelled at Sam, a small smirk actually playing on her lips.

Sam quickly caught on to her plan, picking up the staff and rushing to stand beside her as she continued pushing the creature back. Sam could see her straining, the effort clearly causing her pain. The blue barrier was starting to flicker slightly as she raised her other hand, using both to try and hold it off for just long enough.

“I…” Sammy whined, “I can’t…”

There was movement behind them, Dean slowly getting back to his feet, “Holy shit…” he grunted, seeing the scene before him.

“Sam!” Sammy cried, stumbling slightly, “I’m losing it!”

Dean saw the short sword he had given Sammy laying on the ground abandoned. He rushed for it, taking it in hand and rushing towards the creature, delivering another slash across its torso, sending it crashing back into the water. Sam huffed, rushing up beside Dean and holding forth the staff, a long bolt of energy shooting forth into the water around the creature. He held on, struggling against the power the staff was shooting forth as the creature wailing in agony, before falling back into the water, its lifeless form floating.

“Fuck, that was crazy!” Dean sighed, turning back and smiling at Sam, before seeing Sammy fall to her knees, her eyes closed and blood dripping from her nose steadily, “Shit!” he said, rushing to her side.

“This…” Sammy mumbled, “This is like…the  _worst_ hangover,” she huffed a small laugh, falling onto her back and panting for breath, “I’m fine, just get Shannon,  _please_.”

Dean looked at Sam as he came to Sammy’s side, nodding before taking off towards Shannon. Sam knelt down beside Sammy’s body, “Hey, you okay?” he asked, looking her over and wiping the blood from her face as best he could with his sleeve, “How did you even  _think_ of that, let alone know it would work?” he asked in amazement.

“I dunno,” she shrugged with a weak chuckle, “I’ve done  _loads_ of boss fights after all.”

He laughed, placing an arm under her to help her sit up, “I guess gaming  _does_ have its perks.” he joked, pulling her forward to kiss her forehead gently, “Come on, let’s get you up and find a way out of here.”

“Shannon!” Dean called, running to the iron gate he saw her previously. He couldn’t see her at first, it was only when he got close and found she was on the floor, eyes closed and skin pale, “Shannon!?”

Sam and Sammy made their way to Dean, seeing Shannon unconscious on the ground. “I-is she…” Sam swallowed hard, fearing the worst.

“No,” Sammy grunted in pain as she pointed at the blue light hovering above Shannon, “There’s still some energy left.”

“Dean, we gotta go. Can you carry her?” Sam asked, searching the small chamber and seeing a small pedestal with an open book on it, a source of power emanating from its pages. “That’s our way out,” Sam said confidently.

“A book?” Dean looked at him, confused, “How does that get us out of here?”

Sam released Sammy, making sure she could stand on her own and squeezing her hand reassuringly as he walked towards the book, his hands hovering hesitantly over the pages before he let out a sigh, placing them gently on its surface.

The group suddenly found themselves back in Mora’s Library, greeted by a soft, slow clapping from the man in question.

“You beat my game!” Mora said with a smile, “I’ll admit, I’m surprised.” He looked as if he had been through a rough fight, his clothes tattered and bloody slashes scattered across his face and body. He coughed, a bit of blood on his lip as he licked it clean. The heavy wooden doors could be heard creaking slightly behind them.

“Enough fucking talking,” Dean growled, before looking at Sam and taking the glowing sword from his grasp, “You and Sammy get out of here.”

Sam nodded, a silent conversation between the brothers before he turned and scooped up Sammy bridal-style, rushing to the doors and setting her on the ground outside the room to pull them closed. He turned then, picking her up and rushing down the halls to escape the building as quickly as possible, wondering what the blast zone of the crystal would be.

Dean turned back to Mora once Sam had closed the door. He reached into his pocket with his free hand, pulling out the crystal, cockily tossing it into the air and catching it. “Sucks to be you, Mora,” he taunted.

He started reciting the incantation, the crystal beginning to glow brightly as Mora casually sat in a nearby armchair, the life visibly draining from him.

As the souls finished draining from Mora into the crystal, Dean carefully tucked it back away into his pocket, adjusting his grip on the blade and approaching Mora cautiously. “Not even gonna put up a fight?” Dean said, surprised.

“I’m not a fighter, Dean,” Mora coughed out, his form slumped into the chair, “I seek  _knowledge_.”

“Didn’t get you all that far did it,” Dean shrugged, raising the sword and holding the tip of the blade against the Daedra’s chest, “Should have just walked away when you had the chance.”

“There’s something you should know, Dean,” Mora said with a smirk.

Dean narrowed his eyes, “Go on.”

Mora looked down at his hands, a large, tattered black tome in his hands as he slowly lifted it to offer it to Dean, “ _Everything_.” he said.

Dean looked at the tome, before looking back up at the old man, “I already know,” he shrugged with a smirk, “Forty-two.”

The Daedra’s eyes flickered with confusion before Dean plunged the sword into his heart.

As the Daedra slumped dead in his chair, Dean felt the cloaking disappear entirely, his eyes wide as he turned back around to Shannon, still unconscious on the floor.

“Baby…” he mumbled, rushing to her side and sitting her up in his arms, “C’mon, snap out of it, talk to me, Shannon.”

She remained unresponsive in his hold, her breathing steady and the color returning to her skin.

“Dean!” Sam came running back down the hall, alone, as he entered Mora’s chamber, seeing Mora dead and Dean holding Shannon. “It’s over?” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, “Grab that tome over there Sam, Rowena isn’t getting her claws on that. Then let’s get out of here.”

Cas was waiting in the Bunker when they had returned, Shannon still unconscious in Dean’s arms and Sam helping Sammy down the stairwell.

“Dean, you defeated Mora.” he greeted with a smile, “And I see you have his book as well.” he eyed Sammy, walking to her and placing two fingers against her forehead briefly, before smiling down at her.

“Whoa,” she blinked rapidly, all the dizziness and fatigue she felt gone instantly, “Okay, that was weird. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Cas smiled at her, nodding at Sam as he gave him a thankful smile. He turned to Dean once more, seeing Shannon held in his arms, his smile fading, “I cannot heal her, Dean. She just needs time for her soul to recharge.”

“Right…” Dean nodded, disheartened slightly, “But she’ll be okay?”

“It is very possible that she will wake up with her soul intact and…fine,” he said.

“Way to fill us all with confidence there Cas,” Sammy scoffed, stretching her arms up, “I think I need a drink after…that.”

Sam nodded in agreement, following her to the drink cart as Dean headed down the hall, placing Shannon down in his bed, Cas right behind him.

“Dean,” Cas said, watching as Dean just stared down at Shannon, “She’ll be fine, I’m sure. The human soul is very resilient.”

“I hope so,” Dean sighed, brushing the hairs that had fallen onto Shannon’s face to one side, “I’m gonna stay with her until she wakes up.”

“It…could be a while, Dean. You should rest as well. Fighting Mora couldn’t have been easy.”

“Then I’ll rest right here,” he countered, “It was…something else, but I think we all did our part and that’s why we’re still here.”

“As far as I know, no human has ever survived Apocrypha,” Cas stated, “Mora is no longer a threat and you managed to claim his book of knowledge. I’d say you all did more than your part.”

“That book is getting firmly locked up,” Dean folded his arms, “No one should know… _everything_ , and I’m definitely not letting Rowena anywhere near it.”

“I would suggest that you and Sam increase the warding on the Bunker, maybe replace some of the sigils you’ve removed that have allowed others to enter, such as Crowley…and myself.” he said with an awkward smile, “Heaven would surely want that book as well.”

“Right,” Dean nodded, sitting on the bed beside Shannon and sighing, “I’ll get the Sammys on that tomorrow.”

“I don’t mean to add to your burdens, Dean, but the bloodline…”

“Don’t,” Dean interrupted, his voice with a tone of warning, “It’s Heaven’s plans and this damn bloodline that got us in this mess in the first place. Bonds are intact, soulmates are fine, just leave it at that will you please?”

“I’m sorry Dean, but I cannot.” Cas apologized, his tone soft, “Yes, all of this is because of Heaven’s plan, but even though you have defeated Mora, it doesn’t erase the plan. With Mora gone, Heaven will not accept any more excuses…”

“I’m not making any  _excuses_ ,” Dean groaned, rubbing his forehead which started to ache, “Can you not just leave things to happen  _naturally_ instead of getting on my back about this every waking moment?”

“As your friend, I was just trying to keep you informed of Heaven’s intent,” Cas stated, somewhat hurt by Dean’s outburst.

“Cas,” Dean looked at the Angel seriously, “It’s been a long day, I’m not meaning to be a jerk. You can let Heaven know that there are  _no_ intentions to mess with their plans, okay?”

“I will,” Cas nodded, “Just…don’t forget how  _insistent_ they can be,” he said, before disappearing.

Sam sat with Sammy in the Library as they sipped on their drinks in comfortable silence, just taking in all that had happened within the last 24 hours. Sam’s eyes were glued to the black tome on the table, curiosity gnawing at his mind. He set down his glass, leaning forward in his chair and resting his arms on either side of the book as he stared down at its surface, contemplating if he should read it.

“Look at the  _temptation_ in his eyes,” Sammy giggled, topping up her drink as she watched him, “Leave it, Sam, Dean would flip his shit.”

“ _Dean_ doesn’t have to know,” Sam responded, one hand now gliding over the rough surface of the book.

“I mean,” Sammy leaned forward, looking at the tome herself before shrugging, “I’m not sure I’d want to know everything. Ruins all the surprises, I mean…I just found out unicorns are real,” she giggled holding up the book she’d been flicking through lazily, “That’s a surprise! And I love it.”

“Unicorns are vicious, evil bastards!” Sam looked at her briefly, before turning back to the book, “Aren’t you even a little curious how a book that’s thinner than  _War and Peace_  can hold information about.. _.everything_?”

“I bet,” she giggled again, taking a deep gulp from her drink, “that there’s  _nothing_ on how to troubleshoot wifi router problems in there,” she chuckled.

“One way to find out,” Sam breathed out, quickly opening the book. He flipped through the first few pages, only to find they were blank, the white stained paper staring back at him mockingly. He quickly flipped through the whole book, seeing all of the pages were blank. He sighed, leaving it open in the middle, “Well, there’s nothing on troubleshooting wifi routers…there’s nothing at all. All the pages are blank!” he sighed in disappointment, before noticing an almost invisible swirl on the pages as text began to appear. His eyes went wide as he leaned forward to read.

“Holy shit,” Sam breathed out, turning the book so Sammy could see. On the pages were detailed instructions regarding troubleshooting wifi routers.

“Shut the fuck up,” Sammy’s jaw dropped in awe as her eyes flicked over the page, “This is like… _Google_ in book form!”

“Like Google had a baby with a Magic 8-ball.” Sam mumbled, before flashing Sammy a wicked grin, “Anything else we want to know?”

“This thing is supposed to know  _everything_ ,” Sammy held her chin in thought, “B-but that’s not possible, surely? It can’t know like… _personal_ things right? Like…how many video games I’ve played in my life?”

They both looked down at the book as the text swirled once more, a chronological list of game titles appearing on the pages.

“Eek!!!” she squealed, “Holy shit that’s  _insane_!”

Sam slammed the book shut, crossing his forearms over its surface, “We’ve got to get rid of this book,” Sam said, looking over at her, “It’s all fun and games now, and it could  _probably_ help in a pinch research wise…but I have a feeling it could do a hell of a lot more harm than good.” he sighed, nibbling his lip in thought before his eyes went wide, “There’s only one person I can think of who could safely hide and use this book.”

“And that would be?” she questioned.

“Me,” said a smooth and sexy voice, Sam and Sammy turning to see a black female standing with her arms crossed, “Hey, Sam.”

“Billie!” Sammy yelled in surprise, not quite realizing yet that this meant Death herself had just appeared in the room, alcohol being to blame.

Sam raised a questioning brow at Sammy, before remembering what Mora has done and he swallowed thickly, quickly wondering what else she knew. “Uh, Sammy, this is Billie…Death. Billie, this is…”

“Samantha Kelly, your Soulmate. Yeah, kinda knew that one already.” she smirked, holding out her hand, “The book?”

Sammy gulped, fear evident in her eyes as she looked up at Billie, “You…” she mumbled, “What would Death want with the book of knowledge?”

Billie sighed, casting a cold glance at Sammy, “In my reading room is every possible outcome of every Death for every person that ever existed,” she stated firmly, “And no one can even access it without my allowing it.” she turned to Sam once more, “I’ll keep it safe.”

“Touche,” Sammy nodded, before looking at Sam, “Last chance for you look something up I guess.”

Sam stared at the cover of the book, certain thoughts and questions swirling in his mind as he wondered the outcome. He swallowed hard, battling between his desire to know and fear of what the truth might actually be. After several long minutes of silence, he let out a long breath, handing the closed book over to Billie, albeit reluctantly.

Billie took the book in her hands, tucking it under one of her arms, “For the  _most_ part Sam…the answer is yes. But you know what sort of obstacles lie in wait.” she said, before disappearing, the book gone with her.

Sammy furrowed her brow, looking at Sam in bemusement, “What the hell did that mean?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, going to Sammy and pulling her from the chair and into his arms as he held her tight, placing a kiss atop her head.

“Nuh uh!” she whined, “You can’t leave me hanging like that! What did she  _meeeean_!?”

“You just learned practically everything about me today,” Sam teased, “Can I have  _one_ thing please?” he chuckled lightly, “Look,” he sighed, seeing her revving up to argue, “I promise it’s nothing bad, ok?”

She huffed with a pout, pausing as she thought about it before rolling her eyes, “It better not be.”

Sam smiled, holding her tightly to him again as he rested his cheek on top of her head.

Shannon stirred slightly from her slumber, stretching her aching limbs and yawning as her eyes fluttered open. She quickly realized she wasn’t in her room and moved to sit up, realizing she was being held down by a heavy arm draped across her middle. She turned her head to the side, seeing Dean asleep on the pillow beside her.

He stirred slightly, his hold around her tightening, but he didn’t wake, completely out cold in deep sleep.

She smiled slightly, working herself from beneath his arm and placing the pillow she was using in her place as she slowly and quietly climbed from the bed. She watched as Dean shifted, nuzzling deep into the pillow before making her way from the room, closing the door behind her. She decided to head for the kitchen, needing food and coffee.

Shannon glanced at the clock on the wall, noting it was 4am, yet she was sure she could hear noises somewhere in the Bunker.

“Shannon!?” a squeak came from the doorway. Sammy charged in, almost tackle hugging her to the ground.

“Hey you,” Shannon hugged her back with a wide grin, “So…I’m guessing the Mora thing went well? Sorry I passed out I guess. What was I out for like twelve hours?” she laughed, glad to see that Sammy didn’t seem to have a scratch on her.

“Ahaaa,” Sammy scratched her head, “Well trust me, Mora is long gone. That was…last week.”

Shannon stared at Sammy as she tried to let that little bit of information settle in her mind, “L-last…last  _week_?!” she breathed out in shock, “Oh…my God…”

“I bet Dean is so stoked that you’re awake!” Sammy said excitedly, “He’s like…not left your side _at all!_ Where is he?”

“He…” she was trying to wrap her mind around everything, “He was asleep, so I just sort of snuck out and left him to it.” she shrugged.

“Y-you snuck…” Sammy looked like her jaw was going to hit the floor, “ _Lady_ you march right back there and tell that boy you’re awake!”

“I didn’t know!” Shannon squealed in her defense, “I’m…yeah, ok, I’m going…” she turned to leave the kitchen, walking down the hall, lost in her thoughts, as she collided with Sam as he exited his room.

“Shannon!?” he gasped in shock, quickly pulling her into a tight hug, “Oh thank god.”

“Oh, he’s a hugger!” Shannon joked, Sam’s embrace tight, “Glad to see you too. I just saw Sammy in the kitchen. She said I’ve been out since last week…” Shannon said, still somewhat dazed by that information.

“So  _that’s_ why I could hear her squealing,” Sam laughed softly, “Your soul needed some time to recharge, Cas said it could take a while so…yeah. I bet Dean is so relieved.”

“Uh…” Shannon shuffled her feet awkwardly, “So, I didn’t know how long had passed. And when I woke up he was sleeping…”

“Did…you didn’t wake him?” Sam’s eyes went wide, “He’s not left your side since we got back, I think you  _need_ to go back and tell him. Like  _now_.”

“I was en route to do that before I slammed into a wall of Winchester.” she playfully scowled at him.

“Oh! Right! Uh…go on ahead,” he stepped to the side to let her pass, “It’s good to see you up and about again.”

She smiled at him before making her way back to Dean’s room, quietly opening the door and closing it behind her. She turned, seeing Dean still asleep, snuggled up to the pillow. She smiled again, hesitant to wake him, knowing he had been watching over her for days. She quietly walked across the floor, sitting softly on the edge of the bed and seeing how peaceful he looked. She reached out a hand, grazing the forearm that was draped over the pillow.

“Dean…” she whispered, hoping not to startle him.

He stirred a little, rolling onto his back, but eyes still not opening.

She chuckled softly to herself, rubbing his chest slightly as she attempted to wake him once more, “Dean…”

His hand moved to hold the one she rested on his chest, like instinct, “Hnnn,” he moaned sleepily, “Five more minutes…”

“It’s okay,” she said in a soft, sing-song tone, “I just wanted to let you know I was awake. Get some sleep.” she said with a smile, shifting to move from the bed once more.

The voice and the words suddenly registered with his sleepy mind. One of his eyes shot open, and he instantly bolted upright. “Shannon,” he whispered, quickly pulling her close and crashing his lips to hers.

She kissed him back, almost desperately, enjoying the feeling of being connected to him again. She pulled back from the kiss, meeting his tired eyes, “Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.” she whispered, “But Sam and Sammy yelled at me for sneaking out and letting you sleep.” she explained.

“You’re awake,” he mumbled, nuzzling into her neck and ignoring the apology, “I’m so glad you’re awake…”

“They said I was out for days,” she said, her hand finding the back of his head and resting there as she let him take the comfort he needed, “and that you never left my side.”

“Six days,” he said, pulling back to look into the eyes he’d missed for nearly a week,  “And…no I didn’t. I  _couldn’t_ ,” he stroked a hand down her cheek, “Are you okay? Do you feel alright?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “I just feel well rested I guess.” she shrugged, “And the Mora thing…that’s all done, right? We succeeded and everyone is okay?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “I made sure of it. I just wish we could’ve moved faster, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Dean,” she sighed, “Don’t do that. We all knew the plan and that it would be draining. And we’re all fine.”

He smiled softly, pecking her lips again, “You’ll never be in the firing line like that again, I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Winchester.” she scolded playfully, “Let us not forget…I remember what Mora did to me and Sammy…”

“Ah…” Dean grimaced slightly, his mind racing with all the shit that had been his life up to now, “…Yeah, I guess I got a  _lot_ of apologizing to do in that regard.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me for anything, Dean,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek and guiding his eyes to hers, “and I don’t think any less of you, either. If anything, I love you more.”

He grinned broadly, heart singing at hearing her say those words, but he couldn’t resist making a small comment, “I guess you really  _are_ insane then,” he joked.

“Selfish and insane,” she agreed with a smile, “Together.”

He chuckled, before nodding, “Always.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sammy’s grow closer and Dean decides it’s time for a well-earned break.

Sam found his way to the kitchen, seeing Sammy drinking a glass of whiskey, the freshly opened bottle open on the table before her. He smiled, warm but tired, as he came to join her, kissing the top of her head before taking a seat beside her and fixing his own glass. **  
**

“I heard your squealing and ran into Shannon,” he said with a smirk.

She giggled, biting her bottom lip, “Sorry, I was just so happy to see her. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine. I damn near squealed when I saw her up and about too,” he chuckled, “You haven’t really been sleeping much at all since she’s been out, not that you do much anyways.”

“Sleep is for the weak!” she chuckled, “And nights are for gaming.”

“Trust me on this one, you’ve gotta let yourself get a few hours once in a while. You’ll burn out. Especially after all that you’ve been through in the past month.”

“I can’t help it,” she shrugged, “I’ve always been a night owl, my head is pretty much  _always_ buzzing, I’ve seen doctors about it and everything.”

“Well, you didn’t have me then, did you?” he smirked playfully, “Why don’t you and I take this bottle back to my room, cozy up in bed, and zone out on some Netflix?” he offered.

“Sam Winchester is trying to get me into his bedroom…” she looked up thoughtfully, “Well, I’d be an idiot to pass  _that_  up.”

“Well, I mean, if Netflix doesn’t knock you out…” he said with a lewd grin, biting his bottom lip suggestively.

She broke into a small fit of giggles, cheeks quickly burning a fierce red. She got to her feet, grabbing the bottle and her glass, “Colour me intrigued,” she winked playfully.

Sam was momentarily shocked at her acceptance, before gathering his wits and jumping to his feet, following quickly behind her to his room. He watched as she set the bottle on the nightstand, climbing into his bed and adjusting the pillows to lean back against the headboard. He watched her, enjoying the sight of her in his bed and bit his lip.

“Comfy?” he teased, coming around the other side and climbing in beside her, holding up his arm and offering her to snuggle up against his side.

She obliged quickly, sliding up next to him like two pieces of a puzzle, “ _Real_  comfy,” she smiled, sipping on her drink before leaning her head onto him with a relaxed hum.

He hummed in agreement, a wave of peace and warmth flowing through him as he selected something on Netflix, his arms holding her tightly to him as he settled further into the bed.

She wasn’t paying attention to whatever show it was he’d put on. He was too distracting, laying there holding her, his shirt grazing her arm and his chest rising and falling as he breathed deeply. She struggled to tear her eyes away, cheeks on and off flushing at the entire situation she now found herself in.

Sam wasn’t paying attention to whatever was on TV. He had selected something at random but was too focused on her arm wrapped over his torso, her steady breathing, the warmth of her body pressed up against him. He had tested the waters and even teased her a bit before, but he was pretty sure he had done more damage to himself than to her with those tactics. **  
**

“Are you warm enough?” he asked, breaking the long silence, “I can pull the covers up if you’d like.”  _Get more comfortable,_  he thought to himself.

“Sure,” she smiled up at him.  _I hope he’s fine with me being a snuggler…_

They got under the covers, repositioning themselves to lay further into the bed, holding each other closer than before. Sam leaned toward her, resting his lips against her head, “You smell nice.” he said, mentally kicking himself for sounding like an idiot.

“It’s  _your_  shampoo,” she giggled, poking her tongue out slightly.

“I think it’s just you,” he sighed happily, nuzzling against her slightly, his fingers absentmindedly trailing up and down her arm.

Her eyes flitted up to meet his, slightly narrowed, “Stop being so cute,” she whined, before childishly hiding her face under the covers.

He lifted her chin with a finger, looking in her eyes, “I’ll stop doing it when you stop liking it,” he smirked, before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

She lingered, losing herself for a moment in the kiss, before slowly pulling back, cheeks flushed yet again, “Well I guess I’m screwed then,” she giggled.

He laughed, leaning in to kiss her again, deeper than before, his hand trailing along her side and squeezing lightly as he moaned into the kiss.

She couldn’t stop the small whine that escaped at hearing his small moan. Her arms moved of their own accord, reaching up and gently wrapping around his neck as she encouraged the kiss to continue.

Sam nipped her bottom lip, tugging it open slightly as he licked tentatively into her mouth. As he felt her relax into him, he leaned more into her, rolling her to her back as he hovered above her. He trailed his lips over her jaw and down her neck, nipping lightly at random intervals and leaving wet kisses to cool in the air of the room.

She could feel a flutter, deep down in her belly. Every touch he left made her skin come alive with sensitivity and making her hairs stand on end. She bit lightly on her bottom lip, tightening her hold around him as small hums purred in her throat.

Sam continued trailing hot, wet kisses down her neck, to her collarbone. Licking a stripe down to the valley of her breasts. His hands roamed up her sides, thumbs gently grazing the underside of her breasts as her shirt began to bunch up.

“Can I?” Sam mumbled against her flesh, his fingers teasing at the hem of her shirt.

She breathed in shakily, a small wave of self-consciousness passing over her, but she couldn’t deny she wanted it. She nodded, before quickly nuzzling her face into his shoulder.

Sam fought to control his excitement and shaky hands as he slowly pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it to the floor. He groaned, looking down at her body, seeing she wasn’t wearing a bra. His hands slid up her bare flesh, over her stomach, before cupping her breasts, “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered reverently, attaching his lips to hers once more as his hands tweaked her nipples.

She gasped at the touch, sensitivity jolting to the next level. Her arms uncurled from his shoulders, grazing down his shirt and coming around to dip under the hem and feel the toned skin beneath.

He smiled into the kiss, taking the hint as he sat up enough to remove his shirt, gripping the collar with one hand as he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, bringing his warm skin to rest against hers, sighing at the feel of her against him. He worked his lips down her body, to her chest, flicking a nipple with his tongue before enveloping it in his warm, wet mouth, his other hand kneading her neglected breast.

“Sam…” she whined, her back arching upwards while her nails lightly raked down his spine. The show was still playing on the TV, but it just sounded like white noise in the distance.

“Mmm…” Sam hummed in delight as he moved to switch breasts, “I could  _definitely_  hear more of that…” he said before his lips attached to her other breasts, sucking as his tongue flicked against her nipple. His hand drifted down her body, fingers teasing at the waistband of her sleep pants.

Another whine passed her lips as she felt a rush to her head, dropping back into the pillow while pimples of excitement sprung up all up and down her arms. Her hips shuffled, bucking slightly of their own accord.

Sam lifted his head to meet her eyes as he sat back slightly, his fingers hooking in her waistband, “I’m eager too, Baby,” he said with a smile, but not teasing, as he slowly dragged the pants down her legs, letting his fingernails scratch against her legs lightly. He tossed the pants aside, his hands running up her thighs and to her hips as he crawled back over her, lowering his head to kiss down her stomach towards her panty-covered mound.

Her hands scrunched into the sheets, each breath becoming a small gasp and the heat that overcame her entire body heightened. She could feel nerves playing in the back of her mind which she fought to push out, the only give away being the slight shake in her soft moans.

He nuzzled against her inner thighs, the scruff on his face tickling and scratching the sensitive skin as his hand came up to cup her, rubbing her through her panties, “I want you so much,” he whispered, kissing her thigh and biting softly into the flesh. He heard the shake in her breath and felt the slight tightening of her muscles. He kissed her mound, crawling back up her body to peck her lips, “Too much?” he asked, concerned, “We can stop if you want.”

“Oh god no,” her instincts answered for her quickly, a bashful smile tugging on her lips and she kissed him back, “I-I want you too.”

 

He grinned at her, pecking her lips chastely, “Good.” he said, sitting back on his knees to remove her panties, his eyes locked with hers to make sure she was genuinely okay. As he dropped them to the floor, he stood from the bed, removing his own pants and boxers in one go. He bit his lip as he looked at her, flushed and spread out naked on his bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each passing moment. He stroked his length slowly as his eyes trailed over her form, biting his lip as he crawled back over her, laying himself against her as he passionately kissed her.

Her core instantly tightened at the reveal of what he kept under those pants. He was long, longest she’d seen and she momentarily wondered if she could even take it. As he kissed her, she could feel her head growing lighter, her tongue instinctively brushing along his warm lower lip. **  
**

As he kissed her deeply, his hand found her pussy, moaning at the wetness he discovered there. He easily slid a finger inside her heat, slowly working it in and out before adding a second, causing her to gasp. He steadily worked her open, adding a third before long, her moans and whimpers the sweetest music he’d ever heard. He propped himself on his free arm as he continued working her, curling his fingers slightly, causing her to nearly shout in surprise as he found her sweet spot and began to abuse it, thrusting his fingers rapidly to work her towards release. He dropped his mouth to her chest once more, sucking and nipping at her nipples, driving her higher and higher.

She whimpered a curse, feeling pressure in her guts building at a ridiculous pace as she started to come undone, “S-Sam,” she panted, beads of sweat starting to form on her skin, “I-I…I’m…”

He released her breast with a ‘pop’, gazing into her eyes, “Go ahead, Baby…cum for me.” he said, thrusting his fingers faster within her and feeling her clench down tightly around them.

She moaned his name again, quickly springing up and wrapping her arms around his neck again. Burying her face into his neck, she whined into his skin as she felt her muscles spasming as she released on his fingers. She panted for breath rapidly, fingers digging harshly into his skin as she clung to him.

He worked her through her high, slowing and stopping his movements only after she’d collapsed back into the mattress. He removed his fingers from her sopping channel, bringing them to his lips and sucking her essence as she watched, a whimper passing her lips in response.

“That was amazing.” he smiled down at her, “You’re so beautiful when you cum.” he smirked, “And next time, I plan to make you come on my tongue, but right now…I  _really_  need to be inside you.” he said, reaching for his nightstand drawer and pulling forth a condom.

Her mind reeled at his words, images flashing at his promise which made her unable to form words, only purrs. Letting actions do the speaking for her, she shifted her body up, propping herself on an elbow while her free hand took the condom from his grasp. Narrowing her eyes at him lustfully, she lightly put the corner of the foil between her teeth and tore open the packet. Deftly, she rolled the condom over him, taking pleasure in slowly gliding her palm down his shaft and hearing a moan from him.

His eyes fluttered closed and he groaned as she gave him a few pumps, his hips thrusting slightly into her hand before he grabbed her leg, swiftly pulling her back down the bed and pinning her beneath his much larger frame, “You drive me crazy, you know that?” he breathed out, rubbing his length against her folds teasingly.

“Un…” she clenched her eyes briefly, feeling the tip of him ever so slightly pushing against her entrance, “Sam,  _please_.”

“Fuck,” he gasped, her begging the sweetest sound, as he relented, pushing into her slowly, inch by inch, until he bottomed out, letting out a sigh of relief at being fully seated within her tight warm heat, “God, you feel  _so good_.” he moaned, dropping his head to her shoulder and nuzzling her neck as he waited for her to adjust. **  
**

A small cry passed her lips, her walls stretching and adjusting around him. She bunched a hand in his hair, the other clinging to the sheets that her knuckles turned white. “Holy shit…” she panted, eyes nearly rolling back in her head.

He moaned in agreement, giving an experimental roll of his hips, his body shaking with the effort to hold back from just slamming into her. “You okay?” he breathed against her neck, kissing along the pulse point.

“Oh yeah,” she purred, a smirk on her face as she bit her lip, confidence growing rapidly. She arched up to meet him, feeling his head pushing on her cervix.

He slid his hand under her thigh, lifting her leg high on his side, allowing him to sink deeper, the other hand holding the back of her head. He gazed deep in her eyes as he slowly pulled almost completely out, working himself back in with long, deep, rolling strokes. He panted heavily against her lips, setting a steady pace, making her feel every inch of him.

Her mouth hung slightly open, a cacophony of soft moans and whines flowing from her lips as he moved. Her hips rolled with his, ensuring he was hitting as deep as he possibly could.

As she began meeting his thrusts, he picked up his pace, thrusting into her harder and faster, pouring all he felt into every move he made. He held her close to him as he captured her lips in a searing kiss, her moans flowing freely into his mouth and he swallowed them down. Before long, he could feel her walls tightening around him as she grew closer to her end. He shifted, working himself within her as his hand traveled between their bodies, finding her clit and rubbing in time with her thrusts, “Cum with me Baby, I’m so close.” he breathed against her mouth, desperate to feel her clenching around him.

She cried harshly, the contact on that sensitive spot sending jolts through her body. She resisted the urge to bury and hide her face on his neck, hungrily twirling her tongue with his and relishing each muscle spasm that coursed with her second climax.

Sam felt her let go and with a couple of thrusts, he followed with a roar, emptying himself into the condom and holding her body tightly against his own. He continued rocking into her, working them both through their highs before collapsing against her, his face buried in her neck, his harsh pants heating her skin. He leaned up on his elbows as he pulled out of her, brushing the hair from her face and kissing her gingerly, “I love you.” he said, looking deeply in her eyes, “So much.”

She sighed blissfully, gazing up at him with half-lidded eyes before kissing him back, humming into his mouth before hovering over his lips with a soft smile, “I love you too, Sam.”

Dean had quickly fallen back asleep, his mind now at ease knowing Shannon was okay. As before, she silently slunk from the room, too awake after having slept for days on end. As she made her way down the hall, she could hear the sounds of Sammy’s game filtering from her room. She made her way to the room, finding the PS4 sat on pause, with no sign of Sammy. She furrowed her brow in confusion, seeing the bed made and not slept in, wondering where she could be. With a sigh, she made her way to the kitchen, grabbing a cup of coffee before heading to the Library, deciding to read random lore, which she was really starting to enjoy.

After one or two hours passed, the sounds of people stirring rumbled elsewhere in the bunker. It wasn’t long until someone found her. **  
**

“You bailed on me again?” a sleepy Dean chuckled as he wandered into the Library, his eyes quickly flitting across the small scattering of books around Shannon before finally settling on her. He softly planted a peck on the top of her head before sinking into a chair beside her.

She smiled, handing him her cup of coffee for his consumption, “I didn’t  _bail_ ,” she laughed, “You needed sleep. I’ve slept for  _days_ …I’m pretty well-rested at this point.”

He laughed softly, taking a drink from the cup with a long content sigh. “So good to just see you up and around,” he said, stretching his arms up, “And you know what? For the first time in a while, there’s no impending doom hovering over the world, we can just do what we want. An  _actual_  day off.”

“Don’t jinx yourself,” she laughed, “You know that never lasts long for you two.”

“Which is why,” he smirked, “We should make the most of it! Actually go out there and do something that’s  _fun_.”

She gasped mockingly, a hand dramatically pressed against her chest, “Dean Winchester wants to have  _fun_?” she teased, “ _Actually_  take a  _break_  from  _hunting_?” she narrowed her eyes at him, “Who  _are_  you?” she joked.

“Oh c’ mon,” he laughed, “It’s not  _that_  shocking is it? C’mon, pick something, what do you want to do? We can go  _anywhere_.”

“A little dream vacation for two?” she smirked at him, “I don’t know…I’ll have to think on that. What about you? It’s  _your_  vacation…what do you want?”

“Uh…” he slumped slightly, “I dunno, time off for me usually involves sitting in a bar, working my way towards the bottom of a bottle…”

“Come to think of it…I don’t think I’ve seen you drink much since I’ve met you…” she smirked at him, “That’s kind of a big deal, isn’t it?”

“Really?” his eyes looked up, thinking back, “ _Yeah_ , that’s quite something actually. I’ve not really felt the need to…”

She made her way to him, slowly lowering herself to sit sideways on his lap as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, “I’ll go anywhere you want,” she smiled at him, “Just so long as we get some time together.”

“Hmm…” he hummed, kissing her softly and holding her tight, “I’m sure I can arrange that.”

“Well, how about I go make some breakfast and you think about it, ok?”

“Right…” he smiled, kissing her again before releasing his hold and watching her leave. He grabbed for Sam’s computer, searching and plotting a route. Something scenic and his ideal destination at the end.

Sam came wandering into the room a few minutes later, yawning and stretching as he found Dean, “Please tell me you’re not looking for a case…” Sam whined. **  
**

“No!” Dean scoffed before looking up at his brother, his eyes instantly rolling at the bed hair that he would just love to attack with some scissors, “What the hell happened to you?” Dean raised an eyebrow, noticing the odd marks and scratches on Sam, “ _Oh_ ….” he grinned devilishly, “You  _sly_ dog.”

“Shut up,” Sam grinned widely, “So if you’re not looking for a case, what  _are_  you doing?” Sam reached an arm across the table, swiping the coffee cup that sat beside Dean and looking into it before downing the rest of the cup with a smack of his lips.

“A road trip,” he shrugged nonchalantly, before wiggling his eyebrows, “For  _two_.”

“Why don’t we all go?” Sam suggested with a shrug, “We’ve never really had a vacation and I’m sure Sammy would love it too.”

“For  _TWO_.” Dean said, looking at Sam, “We all could use a break, yes. But I’m  _trying_  to plan something so me and Shannon can be together…uninterrupted…” he gestured in continuing motions with his hands to Sam, trying to convey his point.

“Oh, come on!” Sam whined petulantly, “We can all travel together and get separate rooms or whatever. You’ll still get your  _alone time_.” Sam grinned, “I know you’re all too  _eager_  to…fulfill Heaven’s plans?” he teased, his shoulders shaking with his chuckle.

“Looks to me like  _you two_  are the eager beavers here,” Dean retorted, “C’ mon man, You guys can have the Bunker all to yourselves, me and Shannon get the  _romantic_  drive, cut me a break here.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “ _Fine_!” he grumbled, “But when you get back, it’s our turn to run off somewhere.” he said sternly, pointing a finger at Dean.

“You got it,” Dean grinned excitedly, “Easy. I’ll even let you borrow Baby.”

“So, what are you planning for this  _romantic getaway for two_?” he mocked.

“ _That_ ,” Dean smirked, closing the laptop and folding his arms, “Is  _my_  business. I’m not having you stealing my ideas.”

“I’m pretty sure we have  _very_  different ideas on what would constitute a romantic getaway, Dean,” Sam scoffed, “You know I can just check the browser history, right?”

“Browser what?” Dean looked confused before shaking his head, “ _You’re_  the one with the more difficult job, you gotta find somewhere Sammy will like, plus somewhere she won’t start pining for her damn games after a couple of hours.”

“Like you can keep a book outta Shannon’s hands during your little trip?” Sam rolled his eyes, clearing his throat as he saw Shannon coming back in with a platter of food.

“Hey Sam,” she smiled at him, before tilting her head at the sight of the marks on him, “Uh…I, uh would have made more if I knew… _damn_ , she really fucked you up, huh? You look like you were attacked by a raccoon!” she laughed. **  
**

“Fucking…” Sam cursed under his breath, turning the collar of his shirt up to try and hide Sammy’s signatures, “Well… _she’s_  the one still sleeping it off,” he shrugged with a smirk.

“She’s  _actually_  sleeping?” Shannon said, pursing her lips and nodding her head, impressed, “Well…damn, color me jealous.” she joked, chuckling.

“Jeez, she’s asleep,” Dean scoffed, “What’s the big deal?”

“She has insomnia issues. Even saw a few doctors about it, but they couldn’t do anything. So the fact that she’s knocked out…pretty big deal.” Shannon shrugged.

“Huh…” Dean folded his arms, slightly relating but not to the same extent, “Well as they say ‘snooze you lose’” he joked reaching for a second helping of food.

“So, did you think about what you wanted to do for your vacation?” she asked Dean, stealing a piece of bacon with a smirk.

“Got it all planned out,” he smiled, resisting the urge to swipe the bacon back, “So we can go whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m ready whenever,” she said excitedly, “But…I’m pretty sure if I left without seeing Sammy first, I’d never hear the end of it…So we should wait until after she’s woken up.”

“Might be a while,” Sam mumbled to himself with a proud smirk.

“Wow, yeah, um…” Shannon blushed slightly, “On second thought…let’s let them have their  _alone time_.” she teased, getting up from the table, “I’ll go pack.”

Dean grinned eagerly, jumping to his feet and scooping Shannon into a tight hug, “Don’t keep me waiting  _too_  long,” he smirked.

Sam watched as Shannon skipped happily from the room, chuckling lightly at her antics, “So, have you and Shannon, you know, done anything besides those chaste little kisses I’ve seen you share?” Sam smirked.

“What’s it to you!?” Dean bit, “… _No_ …but that’s ‘cause we aren’t a pair of  _sluts_.”

“Your the biggest slut I’ve ever met!” Sam scoffed, “You’re the ‘fuck first’, ‘romance eventually’ kind of guy. So yeah, excuse me if I’m a bit…surprised.”

“What are you talking about I’m a  _gentleman_!” Dean protested, but a smirk quickly appearing, “Nah, this is different Sam, s’gotta be perfect.”

“You sound like a teenage girl,” Sam teased, “I’m going back to bed…with my girl…who I actually have sex with.”

“See!?” Dean yelled after Sam as he left, “ _Slut_!” **  
**

“Learned from the best!” Sam returned from down the hall.

Dean shook his head with a chuckle, biting into the last piece of bacon and sighing, “Why am I slightly proud of him?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group split up as Dean and Shannon take off for their mini vacation and the Sammys hold the fort at the Bunker. Heaven keeps a close watch…

Shannon dropped her bag in the trunk and made her way to the passenger door of the Impala, climbing inside and carefully shutting the door behind her, “So, you gonna tell me where we’re going or…”

“I made some reservations,” Dean smiled proudly, “How does our own private hidey hole on the beach sound?”

“Really?” she beamed, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she looked over at him, “That sounds…awesome!” she laughed.

“Right?” Dean agreed, just as excited as she was, “So I was thinking we can get some booze, chill out on the sand…when it gets dark I’ll make a fire…properly scenic stuff.”

“You’ve got it all planned out, huh?” she smiled bashfully, “It’ll be nice to spend some time together. We haven’t really had a chance to just  _be_ , you know?”

“I know,” he nodded, “It’s been pretty non-stop, but… _maybe_ this can be our thing once and awhile. An escape.”

“Well, let’s see how this goes first,” she laughed, “Who knows, you could get tired of me after spending so much time cooped up with nothing but me around.”

“If anything,  _you’ll_ be the one who gets fed up of me,” Dean laughed, “The only risk I got is getting addicted,” he tossed her a wink.

They drove along for several hours, music playing in the background as they took in the scenery and talked, about their lives, their dreams, and anything in between. 

“Tell me a secret,” Shannon asked, shifting to turn in her seat, facing Dean, her elbow propped on the back of the seat as she let her eyes wander over him lovingly.

“A what?” Dean laughed slightly, glancing at her briefly, “Well…what kind of secret?”

“The kind you’re scared to admit to anyone, including yourself,” she urged gently.

“Well, you apparently already know everything I’ve done,” he countered, “ _and_ you’re still here which makes you doubly insane might I add.”

“Well, you’re hot as hell, so that helps,” she grinned at him, “And yeah, I know what all you’ve done. But I don’t know what you think or feel or  _want_.”

He chuckled, cheeks slightly pinkening at her first comment, before he thought aloud, “What I want…” he mumbled, “I’m not even sure myself… but I know despite all the crap we’ve all been through the last month, having you around has made me the happiest I think I’ve  _ever_ been, truly.”

“I haven’t done anything but managed to bring demons and Heaven down on your head,” she sighed guiltily, “I don’t understand how that makes you happy.”

“Well not  _that_ stuff obviously,” Dean chuckled, “But that’s not your fault. I’m talking about…your smile. Your laugh. Seeing you look after everybody. You and Sammy bitching each other out but obviously loving each other to the end of the earth. Your sass…Need I continue?”

“I’m happy too,” she smiled softly, “The four of us, after everything, it just feels like a family unit, like we all click and fit together somehow. And I know that’s cheesy as all get out, but it just seems right, like this is how it’s supposed to be, for all of us.” she shrugged, blushing.

“Can’t argue with that,” he said with a nod, “‘cause that’s exactly what it is.  _Right_.”

Sammy’s eyes slowly opened, her head heavy and groggy. Sam’s room came into focus and she couldn’t stop the smile that grew on her face. With a grunt, she sat up, the cold air hitting her skin and making her shudder. Pulling the sheets around her, she glanced about for her clothes, finding them scattered haphazardly around the room.

That’s when she saw the clock, it was 1pm and her eyes went wide.

“ _Shit_!” she hissed, scrambling to get dressed. An afternoon wake up wasn’t exactly abnormal, but it usually came after staying up until after dawn. 

The Bunker was quiet as she paced the halls, a little too quiet, she passed by her own room and saw her game still sat on pause. Mentally telling her PS4 she’ll ‘be right back’ she went in search of coffee.

“Hey, Sleepyhead,” Sam said, smiling from the island as he was making a sandwich for lunch, “How did you sleep?” he automatically began making a second sandwich, knowing she’d be hungry.

“A little  _too_ well seemingly,” she smiled sheepishly, approaching the coffee machine and yawning heavily, “Where are them two?”

He chuckled lightly, “Would you believe Dean planned a  _romantic getaway_?” he laughed, “They left a few hours ago. Said we could use some time to ourselves too.” he finished making the food, bringing the plates to the kitchen table, “Oh, and he said when they get back, we can take the car on our own trip.” he wiggled his brows excitedly at her.

Her eyes lit up at the food, before they narrowed, “Wait, they’re  _gone_!?” she whined, “Shannon went up and left without saying bye to her  _wife_!? I feel like I’ve been dumped…” she pouted.

“Babe,” Sam sighed, holding her hand in his own, “For what it’s worth, she didn’t want to go until after you woke up. But Dean was eager to head out and I figured you two would just catch up on the phone later.” he shrugged.

“ _Any_ other time, I’d have been awake,” she folded her arms in a fake sulk, “But  _someone_ went and…a-and….heh…” she blushed and smirked.

“You’re welcome,” he teased with a big grin, “What do those doctors know anyway? Should’ve just prescribed you a giant dose of Sam Fucking Winchester.” he chuckled.

“More…” she chuckled at her own thought before she could say it, “A giant  _fucking_ from Sam Winchester,” she giggled childishly, “But wait, did you say Dean’s letting us run away somewhere when they get back?”

“Baby, you ain’t been  _fucked_ …yet,” he smirked with a wink, “And yes. When they get back, we get to take the car and go where ever we want. So start thinking up a vacation.”

Her cheeks burned, brain going plenty of places that weren’t vacation ideas, “Heh…I…um…I’ll work on that later,” she rose from the table, “Right  _now_ , I got some gaming to catch up on.”

“You’re gonna make me jealous of that damn thing,” he pouted, pulling her into his arms and resting his chin on her belly as he looked up at her with his signature puppy-eyes.

“O-oh God,” she mumbled, “There it is. The famed puppy eyes,  _fuck_! They really are effective…” 

“How about…” he thought for a moment before giving her an innocent smile, “You go play for a bit and later, you can make it up to me?”

“Oh I’ll play,” she smirked, “Yeah, and then you’re gonna see what a counter-attack from Sammy Fucking Kelly is all about, just you wait!”

His grin turned sinister as he nipped at her stomach and one of his large hands gave her ass a squeeze, “I look forward to it.”

There was a small whine in her throat as her blush spread down her neck. Mind racing, she already regretted her words, there was no way anything she could think of was topping what he had planned she figured.

Dean pulled up to the small seaside cabin, just as the sun was beginning its decline behind the horizon. He threw the car in park, looking over at Shannon who had dozed off close to an hour before. He smiled, deciding to grab their bags and ready the cabin, before coming back to wake her, guiding her into the cozy abode.

“Wow,” she breathed out, taking in the small but lovely space, the back wall all windows looking out over the water. She smiled, walking towards the window and watching as the setting sun cast warm colors across the water, “This is pretty impressive, Dean.”

“It is,” he nodded in agreement, standing by her at the window, “I’ve always wanted to do something like this…”

She tugged on the sliding glass door with a wide grin, stepping out on the small deck, “Come on!” she cheered, running down the steps and onto the beach toward the surf.

His eyebrows raised watching her jog ahead, he grinned loving the sight of her being so care-free. He jogged after her, catching up to her just as she reached the water, “You’re gonna get your clothes all wet,” he chuckled.

She turned, wrapping her arms around his waist and smiling coyly up at him, “I was under the impression I wouldn’t be wearing them long anyway,” she cooed, pecking his lips lightly.

“ _Damn_ ,” he grinned devilishly, pulling her in for a deeper kiss, his own hands snaking around her waist, fingertips lightly tucking into the waist of her pants.

“Unless, of course, this was meant to be an  _innocent_ escape,” she teased, batting her eyes at him.

“And what aspect of me do you think has  _ever_ been innocent?” he countered, his hand ruffling her hair as he lightly bit his bottom lip, “You’re beautiful Baby.”

“You’re not half bad yourself,” she teased, “So I’m guessing we have to run to the store tomorrow, stock up the fridge and whatnot so I can cook for you,” she grinned, “So what do you want to do about dinner tonight? I’m sure you’re starving.”

“Nuh uh,” he pressed a finger on her lips, “You’re not doing  _anything_ but relaxing. S’about time I showed you my own cooking expertise.”

“Mmm, that sounds good,” she agreed, “I could get used to this whole ‘playing house’ thing,” she joked, blushing bashfully.

“Well good, ‘cause you’ll have to get used to it,”  he smiled, “You’re right though, we’ll need to go to the store so…takeout tonight?”

“Whatever you want, Dear,” she teased, kissing him once more.

“ _Dear_?” he laughed, “Ok,  _darling_.”

She scrunched her face in distaste, “Yeah, no…that’s just weird.” she laughed, releasing her hold on him and looking back over the water, “Maybe tomorrow we can go in the water? Swim a bit, ooh! We can walk the beach for shells!” she said excitedly.

“Sure,” he narrowed his eyes mischievously, pulling her back to him, “Or we can just go in the water now?”

Before she could answer, he had hold of her, spinning on his heels and falling back into the surf, dragging her down on top of him.

She squealed in surprise and gasped in shock as the water came rushing up to them once more, “Dean!” she giggled, slapping him on the chest, “Now we’re all wet.” she chuckled with a playful pout.

“I  _did_ warn you,” he shrugged, splashing the water like a child and laughing.

She grinned down at him, hovering above his lips, “Now we have to shower…” she mockingly complained.

“Well isn’t  _that_ just a pickle,” he bit his tongue playfully.

She leaned down, kissing him tenderly, pulling back with a happy sigh, “You  _do_ realize you’ve gone full  _romance novel_ , right?” she laughed, “Making out in the sand at sunset…” She moved to kiss him again, before a bigger wave crashed to the shore, washing over them abruptly, “ _Oh fuck!_ ” she exclaimed, wiping the water from her face and getting to her feet, holding out a hand to help him up, her clothes and hair now soaked.

“ _That’s_ why romance novels are full of crap,” Dean joked, taking her hand and pulling himself up, and shaking the water off his face before grinning, “So how about that shower?”

“Uh…yeah,” she gave a small smile, blushing as she made her way back to the cabin. Her mind ran a million miles a minute. _Did he plan on showering together? But that would mean he’d see her naked. Did she ask him to join her?_ She made her way into the house, grabbing her bag and looking around for the bathroom, her features betraying her nervousness as she nibbled on her lower lip.

Dean tossed his jacket onto one of the cabin’s small radiators, still chuckling softly to himself. He started looking around too, opening doors and peeking into the rooms. His eyebrows raised at finding the bedroom, a large queen sized bed which already gave him thoughts. 

With only one door left, a huge wet room came into view, “Wow…” he said, “Okay so…uh…” he looked at Shannon and suddenly felt shy, “You get first dibs.”

“O-okay,” she breathed out shakily, nodding at him as she passed to go into the wet room. She gave him one last glance as she shut the door behind her, letting out a long breath once she was alone, before going about her shower. She came out a short while later, freshly cleaned and dressed in her tank top and sleep pants, smiling sheepishly at him, “It’s all yours.”

He found his eyes lingering on her, the tank top tight and showing off every delightful curve. Composing himself, he nodded, “I, uh, found some takeout menus so go ahead and pick something.”

She nodded, watching as he disappeared into the wet room, his wet clothes clinging to his back, his muscles visible beneath them. She let out another shaky breath, shaking her head and composing herself as she went to peruse the menus. By the time Dean returned, she had settled on what she wanted.

“Hey, I figured this could work,” she handed him the menu with the notes on what she wanted. Her eyes lingered on him, looking so relaxed in the simple t-shirt and track pants.

“Works for me,” he said with a smile, mentally picking for himself and grabbing his cell. After placing the order, he went out to the car, grabbing some beers from the cooler he stashed on the back seat. He looked out over the beach as he made his way, chuckling to himself. If someone told him a month ago this is what was coming, he’d have never believed it. Stepping back into the cabin, his smile grew broader as he laid eyes on Shannon, holding a beer out toward her, “Drink on the deck?” he proposed.

She accepted the drink, nodding as she made her way back onto the deck, sitting in one of the chairs that faced the water. The sun was nearly dipped beneath the horizon, the outside growing dark, the sounds of the waves crashing the only noise around them.

Dean sat in the chair beside her, knowing he should probably be admiring the view, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away. “I know we pretty much just got here,” he said, “But what do you think? Think this could work as a regular escape spot?”

“You tryin’ to get a timeshare, Dean?” she laughed, looking over at him, “I think it’s perfect,” she admitted.

“ _Timeshare_ ,” Dean scoffed, “Believe it or not, this place actually doubles as a hunter’s safe house. All I do is put the word out for everyone to stay the hell away.”

“ _This_ is a safehouse?!” she exclaimed, shocked, “Wow…y’all hunters got it  _made_.” she whistled. “So wait…you own this place?”

“Trust me, the rest of them are  _dives_ ,” Dean laughed, “Nobody really owns it, but it’s a favored spot. This is actually my first time here, word was some Hunter completely did the place up ‘cause he was fed up of having to crash in dumps.”

“Well if it’s a common house, then you can’t really keep people away, Dean. What if some hunter shows up because he needs a place to hide out?”

“They get some cash put in their hand and sent away to a motel,” he shrugged, “No one will show up, trust me.”

“I do,” she said, so simply and matter of fact. A knock at the door drew their attention and Shannon stiffened slightly, her eyes sliding to Dean in question.

“Huh…” Dean got to his feet, “Food comes real damn fast around here.” He ventured to answer the knock, his face dropping at the sight on the other side. 

“Heya, Dean-o,” Gabe smirked in greeting, holding up the bag of food, “You ordered some Chinese, right?” Dean narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the archangel, “Oh come on!” Gabe protested, “You  _finally_ got some time alone with your Sweetie…just checking that all is well.” he smiled, looking over Dean’s shoulder to see into the house, “Nice digs.”

“Everything’s just  _fine_ ,” Dean growled, snatching the bag of food, “Now get lost.”

“So,” Gabe lowered his volume, “Tonight’s the night, huh?” he smirked, wiggling his brows and rocking back and forth on his feet.

“Are you-” Dean nearly shouted, opting to step out and close the door behind him first to try and keep Shannon out of earshot, “Are you fucking serious!? Cas was supposed to tell you feathery dicks to leave us the hell alone!”

“Oh, he relayed your message,” Gabe confirmed, “But, you know, Heaven’s agenda, bloodlines, yada, yada, yada…”

“You know,” Dean shook his head, completely done, “If you guys put as much effort into other stuff that you do with this, the world may not be so fucked!”

Gabe’s happy expression dropped as he narrowed his eyes at Dean, stepping into his personal space, “Now you listen to me,  _dick_ ,” he said, raising a finger for emphasis, “Why do you think Heaven is so intent on continuing the Winchester line, hmm? Your kid… _your_ kid, is gonna be the one to stop things that you don’t even know are coming. And  _I_ am that kid’s…let’s just call it a…guardian. So how about you stop being so self-centered and focus on the  _bigger picture_!” he growled, his anger shining in his eyes.

“Y-you,” Dean looked at Gabe in shock, “ _You_ are gonna be… _my_ kid’s Guardian Angel?” Dean couldn’t hold back the titter in his voice, “That’s hilarious, poor little bastard.”

“Archangels don’t usually take these gigs, but with Winchesters involved,” he shrugged, “So you do your part and I’ll do mine,” he smirked, before snapping his fingers and disappearing.

“Dean?” Shannon’s voice could be heard calling to him from inside the house and he realized how concerned she must be.

Dean shook his head, still processing the new information before heading back inside. After they ate, they found themselves back on the deck, drinking the last two bottles of beers as the moonlight shine across the sand and water.

Sam made his way from Sammy’s room to the kitchen, having been trying to learn the game she was intent on teaching him to play. He quickly pulled out his phone, deciding to check on Dean, as things always seemed to pop up on them.

“Hey,” Sam said into the phone, “Just wanted to check in, see how things were going,” he said to his brother.

“Yeah, having your little brother ring up while you’re trying to have a _romantic getaway_  really adds to the mood,” Dean scoffed on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, well I wasn’t too thrilled when Gabe popped in earlier,” Sam groaned in frustration, “Randomly dropped off some Chinese food and said you were a dick.” he huffed.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Dean also groaned, “He came over here, spinning shit about bloodlines again…”

“Why haven’t we killed him yet?” Sam asked, exasperated.

“I’m not sure if that’s an option anyways,” Dean huffed, “Turns out he’s taking the job of being… my kid’s guardian angel.”

Sam’s eyes went wide, trying to decide which bit of information he wanted to tackle first, “Uh…ok, I have so many questions…”

“Ditto,” Dean agreed, “They’re recruiting for a role that’s not even available, but…as much as a  _dick_ Gabe is, at least…well…this supposed kid should be relatively safe having him as guardian.”

“I’m surprised you’re so calm about it,” Sam said, “I’d be suffering from  _performance anxiety_  at a minimum after  _that_ bombshell.”

“Okay don’t  _emphasize_ it!” Dean hissed, “We’re just…hanging out right now. Couple of beers, watching the waves, there’s no  _rush_ ….right?”

“Really, Dean? You’re off on some trip, with a beautiful woman,  _alone_ , and you’re dancing around it?” Sam scoffed, “I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were gay.”

“ _You’re_ not the one with Heaven breathing down your damn neck and practically  _watching_!!” Dean snapped, “You worry about you,  _I’ll_ worry about me, and I’m  _not_ gay!!”

“You’re right, I’m not,” Sam agreed with a laugh, “So you have fun with that.” he teased, “Oh, and Dean?”

“ _What_!?” Dean groaned.

“If I were you, I’d triple check my  _protection_ ,” Sam laughed, “You’ve got a  _trickster_ hell-bent on plans after all,” Sam said, ending the call with a smug grin as he made his way back to Sammy.

Dean shoved his phone back in his pocket, glancing at his bag. Specifically, the pocket he stashed the box of condoms in, he slowly zipped it open, seeing the box still there. Raising his eyebrow, he pulled the lid open and it was empty. “ _Son of a bitch!_ ” he growled.

Sam came back to Sammy’s room, chuckling to himself with a grin as he sat back on the bed next to her, smiling as she paused long enough to slurp some noodles before returning to her game.

“What’s so funny?” she looked at him in curiosity before swiftly turning back to the game.

Sam proceeded to fill her in on his conversation with Dean, laughing almost to tears as he struggled to explain. “It’s just,” he paused to catch his breath, “I know it’s a  _sucky_ situation to be in, but from the outside, it’s almost hilarious.  _Especially_ seeing him freak out over the whole thing,  _knowing_ how much he really wants it.” he started chuckling again, before scooting down the bed to sit behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her play, “Plus, it’s kind of nice to be out of the line of fire.” he admitted.

Sammy giggled in agreeance, leaning back into Sam comfortably, before her smile dwindled slightly, “Well…you  _say_ that,” she raised an eyebrow, “But Gabe showed up here too…he may not have said anything but…well, doesn’t that show we’re kinda still in the crosshairs a little bit?”

Sam’s eyes went wide, her words sinking in, as he quickly untangled himself from her, shooting off the bed and dashing to his room. Sammy could hear him shout from down the halls, “ _GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!_! Gabe! You piece of shit!!”

Sam came marching back into the room, hopping as he was pulling his shoes on his feet, “I’m gonna run out real quick,” he said, somewhat out of breath, pecking her lips, “Be back in a few minutes.”

“Ooo!” Sammy jumped to her feet, “Let me come! I wanna buy some junk food.”

“Babe, we  _just_ got Chinese,” he laughed.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, “…And?”

He sighed, “Yeah, okay,” he relented, “Come on.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Gabe show up with game-changing news. Dean sees it as an opportunity. Sam’s had enough.

“Dean?” Shannon asked, seeing him standing in the main room of the cabin, looking  _very_ upset, “What’s going on? What happened?” her worry increased with each question as she cautiously approached him, keeping a short but safe distance. If she were being honest, she felt a bit scared of him at that moment. **  
**

He looked at her, instantly feeling a calming warmth at the sight, and he sighed, “S’just…it’s nothing really, Heaven being a set of dicks again.”

She nodded in understanding, sighing as she rubbed her forehead, “Look, maybe…maybe we just do the whole  _celibate_ thing so they’ll leave us alone.” she shrugged, her face falling in disappointment with the words.

Dean’s eyes went wide, every fiber of his being screaming in disagreement. “Baby,” he shook his head in admittance, “I know for a fact that I won’t last,” he chuckled bashfully. 

She smirked slightly at his words, “I know…me either,” she sighed, “But…I don’t know what else to do, Dean. Gabe and Cas…they keep at it with us and with the Sammys. What are we supposed to do?” she said dejectedly.

He racked his brain before a thought came to him. He looked up at her, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“Baby,” he said softly, stepping toward her and slinking his arms around her back, pulling her into him, “I can think of a few things…and I’m really struggling to hold on right now,” he kissed her softly, hovering his lips over hers and his breath fanning across her jaw.

Her arms found their way around his neck as she responded to his touch, “W-what things?” she breathed out, her mind already becoming a jumble of want and need.

“You don’t deserve all this crap,” he whispered, “I brought you out here to relax…to  _feel_ good…” he kissed her again, deeper, his tongue swiping across her lower lip, “So, I can help you with that.”

“I want you to feel good too,” she said, nipping his lip in response and holding him tight as her fingers ran through the hairs on the back of his head.

“Oh I will,” he said in a low voice, a small rumble in his throat as he kissed her again. Humming into it, his tongue pushing against her lip for permission.

She opened for him, moaning at the taste of him as his tongue dominated her own. She relinquished control to him, her knees going weak with the force of his kisses.

Her sweet noises were like music to his ears. His hand held her lower back, lips not removing hers as he shifted the two of them towards the bedroom, laying Shannon down onto the mattress and leaning over her. His lips started to explore, first journeying along her jaw, down her neck, alternating between pecs and nips.

She hummed in delight, her hands roaming over his shoulders and back as she held him to her. She gasped his name, feeling the nips and knowing there’d be marks left behind. As he reached a particularly sensitive spot on her neck, her hips bucked up and she whined, her need for him rapidly growing.

He smirked, her reaction revealing that he’d found one her buttons. He focused on that spot, kissing it deeply, sucking, smoothing the area with his tongue and relishing every whine and gasp that escaped her.

“Fuck, Dean,” she whimpered, her mind reeling from his actions, and he hadn’t even removed her clothes yet. The thought sent a wave of heat to her core and she clenched in response, her fingers tugging at his shirt, wanting to feel him. **  
**

Pulling back from the spot on her neck, he went in search of another, kissing along her collarbone, a finger tucking under the strap of her tank top on her shoulder. As he worked the strap down, his free hand gently smoothed up her belly, gently cupping her breast through her top.

Her hands snaked under his shirt, finding his shoulder blades, feeling the muscles move beneath her fingertips. She gripped tighter, the pads of her fingers digging into the flesh as she arched into his touch, his ministrations making her feel desperate.

He hummed just at feeling her hands hold him, he shuffled further onto the mattress, kneeling and pulling her up to meet him, holding her close and now working on the other strap on her other shoulder. “You good?” he checked, his fingers playing with the hem of her top almost impatiently.

“You mean,  _other_ than wanting to rip off your clothes and ride you into next week?” she breathed out huskily, “Yeah, I’m good.” she smiled at him.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he growled, hands moving fast to pull her top up and over her head, her breast springing free and causing another rumble in his throat. He bit his lip, taking a moment to admire before smoothing his hands up her sides and slowly brushing across and circling a thumb around her nipple. “So  _fucking_ beautiful,” he breathed, leaning down to kiss down her chest, and capture the second nipple with his lips.

She whined at the feel of his mouth working against her skin, her breaths coming in pants, before she groaned impatiently, pushing him from her slightly to pull his own shirt over his head. Her hands trailed over his chest and down his stomach, before she leaned forward, placing a kiss to his tattoo, another above his heart, before attaching her lips to his once more.

He felt her breasts pushing into his bare chest, making him moan into her mouth. His hunger and want were growing rapidly, as he leaned forward to lower her back to the mattress, his hand now tucking under the hem of her pants. He tugged them down her hips, before smoothing an open palm over her panty-covered mound, a lone digit lightly pushing between her thighs.

“Dean,  _please_ ,” she whined, sounding so wrecked and desperate for him already. She wiggled her hips, silently begging him for more as she brought his lips to hers, trying to quiet the increasing amount of sounds that were falling unhindered from her lips.

He felt the strain in his boxers, his own hips rocking and jerking in need. He pulled back from the kiss, breathing deeply to compose himself as stood from the bed. His hands worked back to her sweatpants, pulling them all the way down and discarding them, repeating the process with her panties. “Fuck…” he growled, admiring her naked form and gulping the lump in his throat. He knelt down on the floor, a devilish smirk forming as he pulled her legs so his face met her center.  His hands glided around her inner thighs as he gifted them small pecks.

She sat up slightly on her elbows, looking down at him between her legs, and a whimper passed her lips at the sight. As he finally made contact with her wet folds, she dropped her head back, a long sigh escaping from her parted lips. **  
**

He hooked one arm under her thigh, smoothing across her waist and laying flat on her lower belly. He stroked a long finger down her entrance, a warm feeling bubbling in his guts as he collected her slick. His eyes darted up to watch her as he slowly pushed through her folds, the hand on her belly holding her firmly.

She cried out as his finger slipped inside her, her thighs quivering at the sensation. She chanced a look at him once more, seeing him watching her intently and her mouth fell open at the sight. She struggled to keep her eyes locked with his, trying to wiggle her hips for more friction but unable to move from his strong hold. The strength in his arms contrasted with the gentleness of his touch, adding to the swirl of emotions and sensations brewing within her.

He smiled proudly, seeing her coming slowly undone, and he was only just starting. He drew his finger back, before pushing back in with a second digit to join it. He curled them, scissored them, drawing them back and forth with a slowly increasing pace. He could feel her body getting hotter, struggling against his hold. As he pumped his fingers he lowered his head, finding her clit with his lips and sucking on the bundle of nerves gently.

“Oh shit…” she cried out, her head dropping back to the bed, amazed at how quickly he was working her over, and he’d barely done much to her. She wanted him badly, but forced herself to fight against it, biting her lip almost painfully to choke back the words she wanted to shout out, resulting in incoherent mumbles.

He hummed on her clit, fingers moving faster as he began to swipe and twirl his tongue around the bud. He entered a third finger, growling hungrily as he started to work her hard, feeling her walls fluttering against the trio. He suddenly drew them all out, sucking sinfully on his index finger and moaning at her taste. Lowering his head again, he then glided his tongue across her folds in a tease.

“Oh my God Dean!” she whined, having been so close to have him suddenly stop and tease her, “I can’t, I need you…” she begged, writhing on the bed in desperation.

He grunted, diving his tongue through her entrance. The taste of her slick coating his tongue making his head light and he twirled it, pumping it in and out of her and lapping up everything he could. His hand snaked up her thigh, finding her swollen clit which he started to press and rub with an instant fast pace. Her struggling was growing against the hand on her belly, he added pressure to keep her still, pushing his face closer so his tongue could reach as deep as physically possible as he hungrily continued to lap her up.

Her muscles tightened almost painfully before releasing as she climaxed  _hard_ , her eyes squeezed shut as her mouth hung open in a silent scream. Her thighs quivered, before clamping around his ears as the stimulation was almost too much to bear.

He moaned against her pussy, his cock  _throbbing_. He worked her through her high, feeling her muscles tightening and twitching around his tongue. When her writhing started to slow, he finally pulled back, sitting back on his knees and wiping his chin smugly.

 

She took a moment to catch her breath, letting her high subside before she lifted her head to look at him. Seeing his smug look of satisfaction, she quirked a brow at him, smiling before quickly sitting up and attacking his mouth with her own, her arms and legs wrapped around him as she clung tightly to him. She pulled back, humming, as she spoke against his lips, “My turn?” she asked with a sultry tone, her hands trailing down to cup the bulge in his pants.

His eyes fluttered closed, a long breath passing his lips at the contact. His jaw clenched, finding each passing moment more and more difficult to resist. **  
**

She smirked, nibbling on his ear lobe as she continued to work him, her hand moving to his waistband and trying to sneak beneath the layers. She hummed, feeling him simultaneously tense and relax in her hold. She drew him closer to her with her legs as she continued to work on the column of his neck.

“ _Fuck_ , baby…” Dean moaned, tilting his head to expose more neck for her. He dipped his thumbs under the waistband of his pants and working them down.

Shannon hummed her approval, her eyes fluttering open to take in his blissful expression before she squealed in surprise, “Dean!” she shouted, seeing Cas suddenly appearing a few feet over Dean’s shoulder.

Dean jumped straight into alert mode, peering behind him and jolting in surprise and quickly pulling his pants back up, “ _What the fuck Cas_!?” he roared in disbelief.

Shannon scurried to cover herself with the bedding as Dean stood to face the intruder. Cas walked towards Dean purposefully, his eyes narrowed as he placed an open palm against Dean’s chest before he could react. Dean screamed out in pain, dropping to his knees, hearing Shannon’s screams mirroring his own moments later. After what seemed like an eternity, Cas pulled his hand away, leaving the pair panting for breath.

“ _Shannon_!” Dean cried, pulling her to him and cupping her face in concern, “You okay, Baby?” She nodded breathlessly and he turned back to the Angel, still holding Shannon close and fire in his eyes, “The  _hell_ did you do!?”

“I removed the marks,” Cas said, his tone gravelly, “You’ll both be fine.”

Dean’s eyes widened, a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger, “Y-you did  _what_!? After everything!?”

“I had to, Dean,” Cas explained, “Gabriel and I learned of Heaven’s  _true_ intent. They layered certain marks, hidden by the Soulmate marks, that would have put any future bloodline under Heaven’s command.” he stated firmly, “Heaven wanted to turn your bloodline into soldiers completely under their control.  _That_ was the true intention. When we learned of this, Gabriel and I set out to remove the marks.”

Dean kept motioning to speak, but couldn’t find the words as his mind raced to try and process this. He dropped onto the mattress, sitting on the edge of the bed with his jaw hung slightly open, “It just gets better really doesn’t it?” he growled, raking a hand through his hair in frustration.

“The bloodline is still important, Dean,” Cas explained, “Your future children will stop evils this world has never seen. But with the marks gone, Heaven cannot control them. Gabriel took on his role of Guardian with full intent to see it through, which means he will continue to protect you and the bloodline. However, I’m afraid this now makes us  _all_ enemies of Heaven.”

 

“Oh well isn’t that just fucking  _peachy_ ,” Dean scoffed, taking a deep breath to slow his thumping heart. There was a pang of guilt in his chest, thinking back to his now numerous outbursts at Cas and Gabe, “Look… _sorry_ , you and Gabe are clearly just looking out for us, but what the hell do we do now with all of Heaven gunning for us?”

“Increase the warding at the Bunker. Something big is coming, I can feel it. You should get back there and stay put until I learn more.” he said, giving Dean a sorrowful look before disappearing once more. **  
**

“Dean,” Shannon whimpered, clutching the sheets to her tightly, unable to voice the negative thoughts running through her mind over the Bond being broken.

“Baby…” he turned and looked at her with a solemn expression, “I’m sorry…not exactly the vacation I had in mind…” he laid his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her gently, “We’re gonna have to go back…”

“I know,” she sniffled, nodding her understanding. She climbed from the bed, putting her clothes back on quickly in silence, her head swimming.

Sam looked over the books in the Library, taking notes and trying to gather the right sigils to further ward the Bunker as they had previously discussed. After Gabe’s constant appearances, he was at his wit’s end, the disappearance of certain things being the final straw. **  
**

Sam looked up, his attention drawn by the sudden appearance of Gabe and he scowled, ready to give him a piece of his mind before Gabe reached out a hand, laying it firmly on Sam’s chest. Sam screamed in pain, hearing similar sounds echoing down the halls from Sammy.

After the pain finally subsided, Sam saw red. He charged for the Archangel, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and growling, “ _What the fuck was that_!?”

“Relax, Big Guy,” Gabe cooed, pulling Sam’s hands from him and adjusting his shirt. He proceeded to explain the removal of the marks and Heaven’s true intent.

”S-so that’s it?” Sammy’s voice came from the doorway, where she stood clutching her chest and panting heavily. She looked completely broken, eyes shiny as they filled, “After  _everything_ just click!-” she clicked her fingers, “-the marks are gone and we’re not soulmates anymore?”

Sam rushed to her, cupping her face in his large hands as he looked down at her wet eyes, “Hey,” he whispered to her, “this doesn’t change anything between us,” he said, before his shoulders slumped slightly and he searched her eyes, “ _Right_?” he asked, swallowing hard.

“No,” she shook her head rapidly, “Nothing’s  _ever_ changing…”

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly to him, tucking her head beneath his chin. He looked over at Gabe, the fire back in his eyes, “So what now?”

“Just gotta hang tight for now,” Gabe answered, his usually cocky and jokey exterior unusually gone, “Get some more warding on this place, I don’t wanna be able to just pop up here again.”

“You and me both,” Sam scoffed, watching as Gabe smirked before disappearing. Sam saw the previously missing box sat at the edge of the Library table close to where Gabe had been standing and huffed, before turning back to Sammy and holding her tighter in his arms. **  
**

Sammy sat in the Library, her brow furrowed as she gazed at the book she studied. Her eyes kept flitting around nervously. She hoped to someone watching her, it would look like she was studying warding, but inside the book, she concealed a smaller one, a tome of spells.

The Bunker door slamming echoed down to her and she turned, seeing Dean and Shannon coming down the stairs. Shannon gave Sammy a quick glance and nearly imperceptible nod as she quickly made her way down the hall to her room. Sammy watched Dean as his eyes locked on Shannon’s retreating form with sadness in his eyes.

“Hey Sammy,” Dean breathed out defeated and tired, coming to greet her in the Library, “Where’s Sam?”

“H-hey, uh…” she discreetly closed the spellbook and hid it on her lap under the table, “I think he’s in the kitchen,” she said, her voice somewhat glum.

Dean nodded, a small forced smile on his lips, “You okay? I’m guessing you all had the same sort of  _experience_ we did…”

“Yeah,” she nodded, holding her chest momentarily, never wanting to relive pain like that again, “No  _soulmates_ here anymore… I’m gonna go check on Shannon, a-are  _you_ okay?”

He glanced towards the hallway Shannon had disappeared through before turning back to Sammy with a shrug, “Dunno.” he mumbled, rapping his knuckles on the table and forcing another small smile before heading off to find Sam.

Sammy got to her feet, stashing the book of spells in the band of her pants behind her back and pulling her shirt down over it. She quickly jogged down the hall to Shannon’s room, barging her way inside and shutting the door behind her.

Shannon looked up, seeing Sammy, and a sigh of relief left her before she charged towards her, embracing her in a tight hug, “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to hold back her shaking.

“I…I  _think_ so?” Sammy clung back, feeling the burn in her eyes again, “They weren’t kidding, were they? Their life really is…one pile of shit after another…How are you?”

“Well,” she sighed, plopping down on the edge of the bed, “Other than the excruciating pain, being extremely frustrated, and Dean constantly dropping hints that I could now ‘be free’ of all of this…” she looked up at her, fighting back her own tears, “Just grand I suppose.” she huffed a humorless laugh.

“Is he serious?” Sammy snapped, mortified, “We’re in  _way_ too deep now, surely? ‘Cause I’m telling ya,  _I’m_ not going anywhere, I’ll shut that shit down so fast…”

“How did Sam react?”

“He…” she sighed, “At  _first_ he was like…checking in, telling me nothing’s changed and what not… but then he’s kinda just closed up, barely said a word to me for the last couple of hours.” **  
**

Shannon sighed, nodding her head, “I guess without the marks…” she swallowed hard, choking back a sob, “Cas said there were things coming soon. After everything, I’m not even sure what to expect.”

“You and me both,” Sammy agreed with a shrug, “So…I’m just trying to prepare for as many things as I can…” she felt the book in her pants uncomfortably pressing on her lower back, “And Gabe said we should stay put here, so if  _Dean_  even thinks about trying to get us away from this, I swear to God…”

“I can’t…” Shannon sighed, “I just want to hit the books, see if there’s anything useful we can learn or use for whatever is coming I guess.” she shrugged.

“Okay, so let’s do that,” Sammy nodded, trying to throw Shannon a reassuring smile, “We can handle Daedra, so we can handle a bunch of Angels, right?”

Sam stood in the kitchen, leaning his elbows against the island as he fiddled with the label on his beer bottle, lost in thought. Everything was compounding and starting to wear on him. He felt bad for being so quiet and distant from Sammy for the last few hours, but he needed to sort through everything that had happened and was coming.

Dean entered, holding his head as it pounded painfully with too many thoughts and trying to process. He strode past Sam, grabbing himself a beer from the fridge and twisting the cap off before leaning back against the counter with a huff.

“So much for vacations, huh?” Sam huffed out, finishing off his beer and tossing it in the trashcan before turning towards Dean with a sympathetic smile.

“Just… _don’t_ ,” Dean grumbled before taking a large gulp from his bottle, “Is it so wrong to want just  _one_ breather before the next barrel of crap rolls in?”

Sam nodded his agreement, “I know,” he sighed, “But I’m glad, at least, that I still have Sammy in all of this. You and Shannon too. I’m trying not to freak out about whatever ominous shit is coming next, but I feel better knowing that nothing’s really changed, even with the marks gone.” he breathed out.

“Yeah…” Dean nodded, but his expression unchanged, “I don’t  _feel_ any different, I still love her. But…” he sighed, “I can’t shake the thought that this gives the girls an escape route ya know? Get outta this life, be normal.” He scuffed his feet on the floor with a grimace.

Sam prepared to argue, before noticing Dean’s all too familiar guilt-ridden body language, and his muscles tensed, the anger and frustration he had been feeling at everything bubbling back to the surface, “Dean,” Sam warned, “ _Please_ tell me you didn’t do something stupid  _yet again_.”

“What? Is it so stupid for wanting them to be safe?” Dean furrowed his brow at his little brother, “I haven’t  _done_ anything! I just…told the truth.”

Sam stood at his full height, his hands balled into fists at his side as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to control himself, “ _What_ truth?” he ground out. **  
**

“What I just said!” Dean defended, “I mentioned that…with the Marks gone…they could get out of this.”

“You’re trying to push her away… _again_?!” Sam roared, “Are you fucking  _serious_?!”

“I don’t  _want_ to!” Dean barked back, “But I gotta lay the options on the table, right? I  _understand_ if she wants to get away from us!”

“Is she hurt?” Sam’s voice dropped low, “Has she broken again because of you?”

“I don’t know,” Dean sighed, “She’s been pretty quiet since Cas did the thing.”

Sam laughed darkly, “So Cas removed the marks, and when she’s worried that it means things have changed between you, you then decided that was a good time to what…confirm her fears?!”

“I haven’t  _confirmed_ anything, for fuck’s sake!” Dean snapped, “I’ve told her I love her, I told her that I don’t want her to go, but if  _she_ wants to, I also told her I’d understand if she wanted to take that escape!”

“You’re unbelievable!” Sam shouted, tugging at his hair as he paced slightly, “I  _guarantee_ you she’s thinking you don’t want her, but you put it all on her?!” 

“I’m starting to get  _really_ sick of your shit Sam,” Dean growled, “I’m not  _trying_ to be an ass! Surely if you  _really_ cared about Sammy so damn much, you’d want her to be safe too!”

Sam stopped his pacing, glaring at Dean, before rearing back and swinging a right hook that connected with his jaw, “Don’t you  _dare_ turn this on me! The second…the very  _second_ those marks were gone, the  _first_ thing I did was make sure that she…and us…were okay.  _Because_ I care about her so damn much,  _I’m_ gonna keep her safe.” he huffed, watching as Dean swiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth, “But you…you and your damn sacrifice bullshit!”

Dean snarled, his own fist clenching in preparation to hit right back, but he couldn’t do it. His shoulders slumped as he leaned back and took another gulp of beer, “I…” he mumbled, with a sigh, “You’re right…okay. I get it.  _I’m a jackass_.”

“You’re a goddamn  _idiot_ is what you are!” Sam countered, “Three times, Dean.  _Three times_  you’ve hurt her and she forgave you. When you hurt her, it hurts Sammy seeing her like that, which hurts  _me_.” he said, pointing at himself. “I can’t even  _look_ at you right now!” he said, storming off down the halls.

Sam quickly set off to Shannon’s room, figuring the girls were in there talking as they usually did. He knocked swiftly on the door, not waiting for a response as he let himself in, seeing them sitting together, Sammy rubbing Shannon’s back as she looked completely forlorn.

“She okay?” Sam asked Sammy as he looked them over.

“Um,” Sammy hesitated to answer, noting Sam looked incredibly tense and angered, “W-well, it’s safe to say she’s been better? But we’re gonna help, try and sort this shit, right hun?” Sammy turned to Shannon and held her arm tighter around her shoulders. **  
**

“Yeah,” Shannon nodded, “With the…the marks gone, we can focus on the important stuff.” she said, getting to her feet, “So if you tell me what we need to do, I can help.” Shannon looked at Sam with a small smile.

“Well,” Sam sighed, admiring the girls’ insistence, “I could use some help with the warding if you two wanna help with that?” he smiled, “And don’t worry about Dean. You two are  _family_ , and  _nothing_ will change that.” he added sternly.

“ _Family_ huh?” Sammy chuckled lightly at the thought, “So, does that mean I’m safe to go and punch his dumb face?”

Sam smirked, pecking her lips, “Sure, just go for the left. I already got the right.” he winked, before heading back to the Library.

The weight on her heart lifted slightly at the brief kiss, but her eyes went wide as she grimaced at his statement, “Oh  _damn_ , really? I mean, I was just  _joking_ , but I may still have to bitch his ass out.”

Sam slowed his steps, watching as Shannon walked past the pair to the Library, “Dean tends to think he’s no good and that he just hurts those who are close to him,” Sam sighed, speaking in low volumes to Sammy, “So he tries to protect them by pushing them away. But I don’t think he realizes how  _good_ she is for  _him_.” he sighed.

“Huh,” Sammy shook her head, “So he’s scared people will get hurt, so he pushes them away, therefore making them get hurt. That’s just… _A plus thinking_.”

“He  _knows_ he fucked up and, in a way, I don’t think he can help it,” Sam said, “But I’m just not sure Shannon will forgive him a  _fourth_ time…” he sighed, “Or a fifth…or a sixth…”

“I’m not sure either…” Sammy sighed glumly, “A-and…” she looked up at him, struggling to find the words as they were too painful, “I-if she can’t and it all goes south…I-I can’t let her go…alone…”

“No one’s going anywhere,” Sam said firmly, stopping his steps to face her, holding her arms, “I won’t let anything happen to you,  _either_ of you, I promise.” he swore, “Dean may or may not come around, and she may or may not forgive him. But I meant what I said. Marks or not, relationships or not, you two are  _my_ family. You understand?”

Her cheeks flushed pink as her heart swelled, looking up at Sam in total admiration, “Noted,” she mumbled with a smile, leaning into his chest and holding her arms tightly around his waist, “I love you, Sam, nothing has changed, you believe me right?”

“I do,” he smiled at her, “I love you too.” he kissed her softly, his hand finding hers, “Come on, let’s go get this place warded.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mora is dealt with, the Marks are even gone, but it’s all apparently far from over after a visit from Cas.

After finally gathering the sigils and the required ingredients and spells to put them in place, Sam suggested breaking into groups to make the warding go quicker. As Sam and Shannon both insisted they couldn’t be around Dean at the moment, Sammy reluctantly agreed to team up with him on their half of the Bunker warding. With a “you owe me”, “I can’t promise I won’t hurt him”, and a kiss, she watched as Sam and Shannon gave her grateful smiles and headed off to do the warding.

The atmosphere was beyond tense, Sammy sat on one end of the table, and Dean at the far opposite, putting as much distance between them as possible. Sammy flicked through the book she studied, the only sound coming from her being the occasional long huffy sigh. She could see Dean’s eyes occasionally glancing up, possibly in frustration to her sighs, but frankly, she didn’t care.  _Let him be pissed_  she thought to herself,  _he’s gone and pissed everyone else off after all…_

“I take it you’re pissed at me too?” Dean finally broke the silence, breathing out a long sigh.

“Well what on earth gave you that idea?” she huffed sarcastically, not looking up from her book.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” he shouted slightly in his defense, fed up with everyone’s judgment, “Let’s just do the damn warding,” he added in a grumble.

“What does it  _look_ like I’m trying to do!?” she snapped at him, holding the book up and frowning.

“How is she doing?” he asked softly after a while of them putting up the sigils in the selected spots.

“I’d say ask her yourself, but maybe it’s best to keep a wide berth right now,” Sammy sighed, shoulders slumping before looking at him genuinely, “She’s hurting Dean… I don’t think she knows what to think right now. You and your damn mixed signals…”

“Look,” he said, setting down the items and turning to face her, “ _All_ I said was now that the marks were gone, she could leave if she wanted…have a  _normal_ life,” he sighed, “She’s not  _stuck_ …with  _me_.”

“ _Dean_!” she started to yell, before composing herself with a deep breath and holding her temple, “Believe it or not, I think I actually  _get_ where you’re coming from, all right? But you’re missing the bigger picture, you’re not  _really_ considering how we feel. We don’t  _want_ to leave, that girl adores you and we were all set to hang tight here and settle down. When you come out with shit like that, all it makes us think is that you don’t want us here, not  _really_ anyway.”

“I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything,” he admitted, “But that also means I want what’s  _best_ for her…and for you,” he added, seeing her slight surprise, “And  _we_ are the  _farthest_ thing from what’s best.”

“Dean, I  _want_ a million bucks and to live on an island with every games console that ever existed,” she pulled a small smirk, “But we don’t always get what we want. So stop being so damn selfish…nevermind  _insane_.”

His eyes went slightly wide, jaw slack at her words,  _their_ words. “I don’t know how to fix it. And even if I could, I wouldn’t blame her if she never trusted me again.” he sighed, picking up the items once more and following her to the last selected sigil spot, “How…how do you and Sam do it? Just ignore all the warnings and just…be happy?”

“Well, for a  _start_ Sam’s honest with himself and doesn’t push me away the second some shit goes down,” she shrugged, narrowing her eyes at him briefly, “He says we’re  _family_ now,” she smiled softly, “And a family can be dysfunctional as  _all_ hell I know but…we watch out for each other, he says he’ll watch out for me and I’ll do the same back…whatever it takes. We can’t do that if we’re sent away and forced to try and be  _normal_  like I know what normal even means anymore…”

“And you wonder how you ended up being  _Snarky_ ,” he teased with a smirk.

“Don’t even  _start_ with that shit again!” she squealed, pointing a finger at him in warning, but smirking, “I don’t know  _how_ you go about fixing this either, but I got a suspicion Shannon deep down wants you to at least try.”

He nodded at her words, letting them sink in, “So…we’re good?” he gestured between them.

“I guess,” she side eyed him and smiled, “You’re still a jackass though. Huh, so what’s really changed?”

“Thanks, Sam,” Shannon said, helping to carry the items as he added the warding, “You know, for not making me team up with Dean,” she smiled at him.

“Figured you’d need the space,” Sam smiled softly at her, “ _And_ I know Sammy won’t resist the urge to give him some hell.”

“I’m trying to convince myself I don’t care. That it’s just not a thing that’s ever gonna happen,” she admitted.

Sam sighed, his eyes slightly pained as he looked at her, “Shannon,” he started, “I don’t want to sound like I’m defending him, ‘cause  _believe me_  I’m not, but Dean…he’s got a funny way of showing it, but I know he cares. He really does. He’s just hell-bent on the whole  _it’s dangerous to be around us_  crap.”

“He’s not wrong,” she admitted with a shrug, “But  _I_  should have a say in it. But since the start, he’s pushed me away several times and it just seems like he’s more ready to accept that we can’t be happy than to even  _try_ to be.”

“Trust me, it’s not that much different being his brother,” Sam huffed a small laugh, “So many times over the years, he’s gone and thrown himself into a world of shit saying he’s protecting  _me_ or one of our friends… I mean, you know right? Mora showed you everything after all. As backward as it may sound, him being like this should show how much he  _really_ cares, like…” he sighed and shook his head, “I’m not going to put words into his mouth, but all I  _can_ say is, if you care about him the same, be  _stern_. Let him know that no matter how much he pushes, you aren’t gonna let him live his self-sacrificial fucking fantasy. He’ll break eventually.”

She stood in shock, letting his words register in her brain as she thought over the things she knew about Dean. Sam was right. In his own way, Dean was showing how much he cared by trying to protect her. She knew she loved him, which meant she had to stand up to him and remind him that  _her_ love wouldn’t be deterred by anything…not even him.

“Thanks again, Sam,” she smiled, “I’m gonna go find him.”

After finishing the warding, Shannon took down the halls in search of Dean, finding him and Sammy sharing a beer in the kitchen.

“Hey, uh Sam and I finished the warding,” she said, talking to Sammy, but her eyes flitting cautiously to Dean.

“Cool,” Sammy nodded, glancing briefly between Shannon and Dean and promptly getting to her feet, “Well, _I_ think it’s time to squeeze some game time in!” She quickly scurried from the room, glancing at Dean over her shoulder with a look that screamed  _fix this, asshole._

Shannon watched Sammy scurry off, simultaneously grateful and hating her a little bit. She sighed, “Can we talk?” she asked Dean.

“Yeah,” Dean answered quickly, a pang of nerves striking his heart that he swiftly pushed to one side, “I wanted to talk to you too…”

She took a deep breath, remembering her conversation with Sam and trying to focus on the words she practiced in her mind, “I love you, Dean,” she breathed out, “I do. Even with the marks gone, I honestly can say I don’t feel any different.”

“I love you too, Shannon,” he answered honestly, “I just…I don’t know. I don’t know what I was thinking other than if you were as far away from me as possible, you’d be safer and happier…”

She bit back the urge to get angry, trying to focus, “I know what you were thinking. And, in a way, I can understand why you feel the way you do.” she admitted, “But I  _want_ to be here. The things we’ve seen and gone through in the past several weeks have been  _terrifying_ ,” she shook her head, “But it’s also been… _exhilarating_. And even if you decided that you and me…that it just couldn’t happen, I would still be right here because that’s what I want. And I think you want me here too, even if you are scared of what might happen.”

“I’m fucking terrified,” Dean admitted, “And…I guess I was scared you’d feel different with the Marks gone. If you want to stay, I won’t stop you, I won’t try to push you out anymore. As for… _us_ …I want to make it work, i-if you want to?” he scratched the back of his head nervously.

“I want to,” she said firmly, “And I know you want to. And I love you enough to not let you destroy yourself and make yourself miserable. I won’t  _let_ you push me away anymore, Dean.” she said in a warning tone.

“The hell did I do to deserve you?” Dean shook his head with a smile, beckoning her over to sit next to him at the table, “I love you so damn much.”

She went to him with a smirk, “You  _do_ deserve it, Dean.” she insisted, sitting next to him, “You may not believe it, and you may never believe it. But I promise to never stop trying to convince you.”

As she leaned in to kiss him, Dean’s phone began ringing. He groaned, dropping his head in defeat as he pulled out the phone, seeing Cas’ name on the ID.

“Wonderful timing as ever Cas,” Dean grumbled slightly into the phone, “What’s up?”

“I see you have completed the warding on the Bunker. I am outside. I have some information I need to share with you and Sam.”

“Gotcha,” Dean nodded, “We’ll power it down so you can come in, give us a minute.”

“No, Dean, that is not wise. If you remove the warding for me to enter, other Angels can enter as well, which is why I had you put the warding in place to begin with,” Cas said with an edge of sass to his tone, “Meet me outside.” he demanded, ending the call abruptly.

“He’s getting too damn  _sassy_ for his own good,” Dean frowned, sliding his phone back into his pocket, “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Don’t be gone too long,” she smirked, “You owe me an apology after all.” she winked playfully.

“Damn right I do,” he winked back, biting his bottom lip as his mind conjured a number of ways he could  _apologize_. His pace quickened as he set off in search of Sam.

The brothers made their way up the stairs and outside, seeing Cas waiting for them on the road up to the main door, “Dean, Sam,” Cas nodded at each of them in turn before narrowing his eyes, “I’m sensing tension between the two of you…”

“What have you got for us Cas?” Sam asked, choosing to not acknowledge the Angel’s statement.

“Seriously?” Dean said, raising a brow at his brother, “You’re still pissed at me? The damn  _girls_ are fine, but you’re still pissed?” he said, clearly annoyed at his brother.

“I’m tired and  _done_ ,” Sam hissed, closing his eyes briefly.

“Well, I came because-” Cas began, before being stopped by Dean raising a hand.

“All this because I had a fight with Shannon?” he glared at him, “It’s not even  _your_ business Sam!” Dean yelled, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

“You’re right! It’s not!” Sam growled, “And yet  _somehow_ Sammy and I always end up playing the damn _marriage counselors_ between you two!”

“I don’t see you yelling at her!”

“Because  _she_ isn’t the one screwing everything up all the damn time!”

“You know what?” Dean growled.

“We don’t have time for this!” Cas interrupted, “There are  _bigger_ things happening right now.”

“ _Exactly_!” Sam groaned in frustration, rubbing his temple and repeating his initial question in exasperation, “ _So, what have you got for us, Cas!?”_

“From what I’ve learned, Mora isn’t dead, for starters,” he stated with a sigh, “And his siblings aren’t too happy about him having been summoned and banished once more.”

Both boys stared at the Angel completely dumbstruck. “He…” Sam started.

“He’s not  _fucking_ dead!?” Dean finished, his voice full of venom, “So all the crap was for nothing!?”

“Mora didn’t show up here on his own, he was  _summoned_. From what I’ve learned, Daedra sort of existed in their own realms before the Earth was created. They withdrew from the world, wanting nothing to do with it. They cannot be killed, only banished back to their realms of existence.” Cas explained, “But that’s only part of the issue.”

“Oh wonderful,” Dean scoffed, “Do tell me more.”

“Whoever summoned Mora knew that you would go after him. I would assume they knew how to banish him as well, which means they probably knew the paths you might take to make that happen. I’m not sure who or why, but someone wanted your marks or souls gone for some reason.”

“So what,” Sam shrugged, “The fact that Mora’s demons came after the girls in the first place…was that just coincidence?”

“I don’t think it was  _Mora’s_ demons,” Cas emphasized, “Daedra have their own sort of followers, which are stronger than demons to my understanding. So no, I think Mora was a smoke screen.”

“I said this back then,” Dean looked at Sam, “And I’m saying it again now, this  _stinks_ of Crowley.”

Sam shook his head in disagreement, “Why would Crowley summon a Daedra,  _pretend_ that his own demons were Mora’s, go after the girls…not to mention Crowley helped us to take him down, Dean.”

“Well c’mon, we  _know_ there always an ulterior motive with that dick,” Dean countered, “ _Act_ like he’s on our side, screw with the whole bloodline shit. Not to mention the Book of Knowledge being there as a potential bonus prize.”

“It does make sense,” Cas nodded in agreement, “If he thought the marks were key to the bloodline, then he may have assumed getting you to remove them could possibly end it. And the book is very powerful.”

“O-okay just rewind a second,” Sam groaned at the throbbing pain in his temple, “So we say Crowley is behind it all, fine. But you said there’s now  _other_ Daedra who are pissed? Surely they’ll be just as pissed at Crowley as they are at us?”

“Yes,” Cas confirmed, withdrawing a book from his coat and handing it to Sam, “I found this, which details the Daedra - Mora and his fifteen siblings. I believe the Daedra aren’t too happy about being messed with and are now planning to come to Earth with a vengeance.”

“ _Fifteen_!?” the boys practically shrieked in unison.

“And are they  _all_ as fucking powerful as Mora was?” Dean groaned.

“More or less, though some are benevolent, some neutral - like Mora - and some dark. The book should help.”

“Guess I better start reading then,” Sam sighed heavily.

Cas nodded, opening his mouth and closing it once more.

“What?” Dean narrowed his eyes, “Spit it out, Cas.”

“Well, I’m afraid there’s more.” 

They both groaned, looking at the Angel with pained eyes.

“Heaven,” Cas sighed, “They’re not too thrilled about the removal of the marks and ruining their plans. I’m afraid a few of the Angels have taken charge and are working together to kill Gabriel and I…as well as you two and the girls.”

“Oh that’s nice and  _logical_ ,” Sam scoffed, throwing his arms up, “You don’t get  _anything_ out of the bloodline if we’re  _dead_!?”

“The Winchesters have thrown a proverbial wrench in everything existence has tried to do. Hell doesn’t want to see it continue. And now that Heaven has lost its chance to control the bloodline, they’d just as soon do away with it as well.” Cas said sympathetically.

“Safe to say, we’re definitely written off Heaven and Hell’s Christmas card list…” Dean joked with a small smirk, “We’ve got just  _so many friends…_ ”

“Gabriel and I will try to deal with Kushiel and Radueriel, but I’m not sure how successful we will be. Kushiel is Heaven’s punisher and Radueriel…he  _creates_ lesser Angels…he’s already begun building a small, disposable force.”

“ _Kushiel_ …” Dean bit his lip to try and hide a second smirk, “S-sounds like a damn toilet paper brand.”

Cas looked at Dean in confusion, “Regardless, he is not to be underestimated.” he urged, “I don’t mean to bring so much bad news, but I thought you would want to know.”

“So we got Hell pissed at us,” Dean started to count on his fingers as he summarized, “ _Heaven_ pissed at us,  _fifteen_ fucking Daedra pissed at us…I’m sorry, I’m starting to lose count already.”

“And pretty much any  _bad_ in existence intent on wiping the Winchesters from the map,” Sam sighed, rubbing his temples with closed eyes.

“Just another day back at the office,” Dean rolled his eyes.

“At least you no longer have the unwanted pressure of  _continuing_ the bloodline…” Cas offered, attempting to provide an upside.

“I’m tempted to have a freaking truck full of babies just to  _really_ piss y’all off now,” Dean shook his head.

Sam huffed a laugh, the hint of a smile on his lips, “Yeah, Radueriel ain’t the only one that could make an army.” Sam laughed then, looking at his brother, before sobering up. “Gah! Okay, research time!” he said, excusing himself to return into the Bunker.

“Nah man,” Dean groaned with a stretch, “I’m fucking  _beat_ , you should have a break too.”

“I’ll contact you again when I have more information,” Cas said, before leaving.

“ _Are you fucking kidding me!?_ ” the girls shrieked together as the boys explained the situation to them both in the Library.

“Nope!” Sammy squeaked, marching for the door, “I need a gun. So I can  _shoot myself!”_

“I’m on board with that!” Shannon squeaked, following hot on her heels.

“ _No_!” the boys yelled, stepping into the doorway to block their paths with folded arms.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Shannon sneered, “You’d prefer a slow, painful,  _agonizing_ death at the hands of…I don’t know.. _.take your pick!_ ” she shouted.

“I wish there was a way I could just like… _jump_ into Yakuza,” Sammy sighed, “Actually go in there and become a karaoke legend or something. That would be nice…”

“We can figure this out,” Sam insisted, pleading with them, “There  _has_ to be a way…there’s  _always_ a way!”

“Unless you guys can freaking  _clone_ yourselves umpteen times over, I don’t really see a way out of this. This just turned into a ground zero of multi-dimensional fuck-all!” Shannon glared at Sam.

“How are we supposed to deal with  _fifteen_ Daedra coming after us at once?” Sammy whined, “We barely coped with  _one_! Never mind Heaven and Hell and  _whatever_ fucking else there could possibly be!?”

“Look, Cas gave us this book on Daedra. I’m sure we can find out what we need about them and  _banishing_ them or whatever.” Sam huffed, almost in a panic.

“And dealing with Heaven and Hell and all their  _agendas_ isn’t exactly new territory for us,” Dean added.

The girls shared a look and a sigh.

“I’m just…” Sammy whimpered, “I’m…tired…I need to sort my head out and get back in the game.”

“Yeah,” Sam sighed, slightly relieved, “Yeah, we should all probably rest up a bit. It’s been a rough few….weeks.” he came over to Sammy, resting his hands on her shoulders, “We  _will_ get through this.” he promised.

“If you say so,” she shrugged, “I’m glad  _someone_ is confident we can.”

He kissed her forehead before wrapping an arm around her, guiding her down the hall to his room to lay with him.

“You should probably get some sleep too,” Shannon said, looking at Dean, “You haven’t slept in days.” she chastised.

“I guess…” he rubbed his eyes, a yawn passing his lips to confirm her statement, “You coming with?”

“What?” she breathed out in surprise, “I…uh…sure?” 

“Why so surprised?” he pouted childishly, “You gonna leave me to sleep all on my lonesome?”

She giggled at his boyish antics, “I just…we haven’t really slept together. I mean, I woke up next to you that one time, but…” she shrugged and blushed.

“We’d have had to share a bed at the cabin?” Dean bit his lip, “Vacation got cut short but we can still give ourselves some of the perks.”

She took his hand, tugging lightly as she walked backwards, “Well, let’s go lie down then.” she smirked.

He smirked in return, letting her guide him down the halls. On reaching his room, he shut the door behind them, quickly scooping Shannon into his arms and crashing their lips into a deep kiss.

“Well, you’re not wasting any time,” she giggled against his lips, before deepening the kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck and holding him close.

“I’m done with interruptions,” he said in a low voice, laying her down on the bed as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He switched it off, before tossing it haphazardly to the floor, “Just me and you now, Baby.”

She quickly pulled her shirt off, tossing it aside as she laid back on the pillows, beckoning him closer with a single finger, “Come here.” she whispered with a grin.

He smiled with a low hum, throwing his own shirt up and over his head and climbing onto the mattress, crawling over her body, planting small pecks on her bare flesh as he climbed.

Her hands smoothed down his chest, humming at those lips she was sure she’d never get enough of. “Mmm…I believe I owe you a little something from last time,” she cooed.

“And I owe you a  _major_ apology,” he countered, his lips finding that sweet spot on her neck he’d recently discovered.

As his lips found the spot on her neck, she mewled, her hips bucking lightly against him. One hand trailed over his back as the other fisted in the back of his hair, tugging lightly when he nipped at her skin, making her gasp.

He growled against her skin, his body coming alive at hearing her sweet noises again. So much frustration had built up in him, he slightly feared he wouldn’t be able to hold back. He ground his hips into her, making sure she could feel how eager he was to finally have her to himself again.

“ _Fuck_ , Baby I just want to take you right now.”

She nodded in agreement, “Yeah…” she breathed out, “Yes, do that.” she begged, her hands tugging in frustration at his jeans.

He moaned into her mouth as he captured her lips once more, one hand palming her breast while the other hastily unbuttoned his jeans. He pulled back to rid himself of the denim, tossing them to the floor before he started to work on freeing her from her pants.

As he pulled off her jeans, she quickly undid her bra, tossing it aside. Her eyes traveled over him, biting her lip at the sight of the bulge she’d felt before. She squeezed her thighs together, attempting to get friction to her over needy core as she reached for him with her hands.

He drove his hips forward eagerly, letting her hands reach him half a second faster. He clenched his eyes at the contact, a small flurry happening deep in his guts. He half opened his eyes, gazing into hers before latching himself back onto her neck while a hand snaked down her body to find her cloth covered centre. He pressed firmly, drawing a line down her folds through the cotton.

“Dean,” she whined in desperation, “No more teasing. Please. I  _need_ you.” she begged him, her hips jerking against his hand and her panties rapidly becoming soaked.

“God damn I need you too,” he panted, his body screaming with need. His eyes drifted to the duffle bag, still laid on his dresser from when they got back from the cabin, “I…I don’t have any…” he sighed defeatedly.

“What?” she breathed out, eyes going wide at the realization, “But…” she whined, biting her lip, her hands still wandering over his arms and shoulders. She threw her head back against the pillow, letting out a frustrated groan.

“Gabe’s fault,” Dean defended with pained eyes, “He sabotaged us.” He rose from the bed, reaching back for his jeans, “Maybe…maybe Sam has some…”

She sat up on the bed, grabbing his arm and pulling him back towards her, “I don’t care.” she said in a low tone, “I want you Dean.” she begged, looking up at him through her lashes, “I want to  _feel_ you.”

An uncontrollable rumble purred in Dean’s throat, he didn’t need telling twice. He let it all out, hungrily pulling her to his chest and devouring her mouth whilst he tore her panties off in one clean swoop. He didn’t waste any time, his hand dipping between her thighs and coating two fingers with her slick, easing them through her folds to the knuckle.

She moaned before attaching her lips to his neck, kissing and licking along the muscle before biting just enough to sting at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. She used her hands and feet to work his boxer briefs down over his hips, his hard length springing free and bouncing against her inner thigh. She let out a needy whimper, her lips finding his once more.

Their moans mingled into the air, colliding with each other. He bunched a hand in her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss and twirl his tongue with hers. The other hand pumped himself, the touch of her thigh against him already driving him insane with need. He pushed one of her legs aside, opening her up to him as he positioned himself, elbows resting either side of her head and gazing at her with half lidded eyes. With a hungry breath, he moved his hips, sliding into her to the hilt and cursing under his breath.

She gasped as he bottomed out in one stroke, her hands clinging to his shoulders. She gave herself a moment to relish in the feel of him before wiggling her hips, encouraging him to move.

He felt her walls adjusting to him, clinging around his length with warmth. Trying to keep what little composure he had left, he drew his hips back slowly, her whines and moans driving him crazy. His lips attached to her breast, tongue twirling around her swollen nipple as he started a gentle rhythm.

She arched her back, locking her ankles behind him and pushing him deeper on every thrust. Her head grew fuzzy with each movement, feeling like her filled her in a way no one ever had. She could feel the desire building up within her. She cupped his face in her hands, resting her forehead against his as she gazed into his eyes, “Stop holding back,” she commanded, but it sounded like a whispered plea.

“ _Fuck_ , Baby,” Dean whined, sweat forming on his brow as both of their bodies got hotter. Those three words tipped him over the edge. With a growl of need, he sat back up on his knees, pulling her up with him and into his lap. His teeth clenched as he lifted her, guiding her back onto him as he thrust his hips up harshly into her, tugging at her hair to expose her neck and devour that sinful spot.

She squealed in surprise before moaning sinfully as the new position sent him deeper into her, the head of his cock punching into her cervix with a mix of pain and pleasure. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, meeting his thrusts with her own as a litany of moans and curses fell from her parted lips.

They were the best sounds he’d ever heard, encouraging him to move faster, bouncing her on his cock as he began his own melody of moans and grunts. He attached his lips back to hers, so he could feel her moan on his tongue, the vibrations singing through him as he felt pressure beginning to build.

“God, Dean, I’m gonna cum,” she whined, clinging to him tighter as she worked harder against him. As she felt herself growing close to that edge, she tossed her head back, unable to hold back the sounds and pants for breath.

He choked a moan at her words, his pace increasing as he clung to her, feeling her walls tightening around is cock. “Do it, Baby,” he encouraged, “Fucking cum all over me.” His hand dipped between them, pressing into her throbbing clit.

The moment his finger brushed over her clit, she was gone, her walls tightening and releasing as she came with a loud wail, her nails digging into the flesh of his shoulders. She pressed her lips to his, trying to stifle her sounds, as she rode out her high.

He panted and groaned into her mouth, trying to keep his eyes on her and watch her climax. His head felt light as the world around them became white noise. He suddenly buried his face into her neck, roaring against her skin as he forcefully came, long hot ropes of cum shooting deep into her. He continued to groan and growl, pumping into her with every last ounce of energy he had until he was completely drained.

He lowered them back to the mattress, resting his forehead in the valley of her breasts as her walls continued to softly flutter, milking him dry. She tried to catch her breath, feeling euphoric and boneless.

“Fuck, Dean,” she whined, fully sated and exhausted.

“Baby…” he panted, looking up into her eyes and kissing her lips softly before pulling himself free and dropping onto the bed beside her. He quickly pulled her into him, laying her head on his chest and an arm wrapping around to hold her tight, “You have  _no_ idea how long I’ve wanted to do that…”

She laughed, nodding, “ _So_ worth the wait though…” she teased.

He laughed breathlessly, kissing her forehead and sighing with comfort, “I love you, Shannon,” he whispered softly.

“Mmm,” she hummed, nearly asleep, “Love you too.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy has a disturbing dream and the girls decide to sneak off in search of relaxation.

Sammy stood on an open plane, the air around her strongly fragrant, blurs of color streaming together. In the far distance, she could see what looked like a city, made of silver, shining brightly like a beacon. She took cautious steps forward, her eyes scanning her surroundings as a sense of peace and safety flowed through her. **  
**

Suddenly, a bolt of light shot from the sky, landing on the high-perched rocks before her, the image of a beautiful woman, scantily clad in barely-there robes looking down upon her.

“ _Samantha_ ,” the feminine voice called to her, echoing around her as if disembodied. Sammy wasn’t sure if she could see the woman’s mouth actually move or not, but she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, stopping in her tracks and staring up at the figure.

“W-who are you?” Sammy managed to croak out, her voice sounding weaker than she’d intended. She couldn’t help but feel afraid, wishing that Shannon or Sam, or even Dean were with her.

“Fear not my Child,” the sing-song voice washed over her once more, making her muscles relax of their own volition, “I am called Azura, one of the many Daedric Princes. This is my realm of Moonshadow. Do not fear, Mortal, you are safe here.”

“A-Azura?” Sammy managed to stammer, her eyes going wide and taking an involuntary step back in response, “B-but the Daedra are coming to kill us.”

“On the contrary,” Azura spoke, the female form standing unmoving as her robes flowed in a breeze that seemed to surround her aura, “We have been Summoned from your plane. I mean no harm to you or your companions, but there are other Daedra who are intent on destruction and revenge.”

Several images of, what Sammy somehow understood to be Daedra, flashed through her mind, warning of blood, destruction, and death. Sammy gasped as the visions finished flashing, her eyes wide.

“Why are you showing me this?” 

“To prepare you and your Companions for what is to come,” the Daedra responded before more images flashed in Sammy’s mind. 

She could see Sam and Dean in a battle against strange-looking, armor-clad creatures -  _Dremora_ , her mind provided - before Sam screamed, a long black sword protruding through his chest and out his spine before the creature removed the sword and Sam fell lifeless to the ground. Dean shouted for his brother, before turning in a rage towards the creatures, cutting them down left and right. Her eyes scanned the space, seeing Shannon struggling against two attackers who were dragging her to what looked like a stone altar, tossing her back on its surface and tying her down as she kicked and fought against them, screaming for help. Sammy turned once more, before a sneering man in mage’s robes appeared before her, his hand wrapping around her throat as he chanted unfamiliar words. Sammy could feel her skin begin to bubble and crack painfully.

She was brought back from the vision, gasping for breath and trying to shake the pain. She spun several times, checking her surroundings, the visions had seemed too real. **  
**

“When we arrive at your plane, several artifacts travel with us and become dispersed throughout the world. You and your Companions will need to find and gather these artifacts in order to remove our presence from your world.”

“How are we supposed to do  _that_?!” Sammy sassed back, her frustrations growing, “How are we supposed to track down random artifacts? We don’t even know  _what_ they are, let alone  _where_ , and manage to banish the Daedra?!”

“Now that I have spoken to you, you will receive visions of the other Daedra, visions that will help to guide you and your friends on your mission.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? Why me?!” Sammy asked exasperatedly. 

“Because your mind was the least hostile environment of your friends. Because you are the most accepting and trusting of things that mortals cannot understand.”

“I don’t wanna be,” Sammy pouted petulantly to herself.

Sammy sat up with a huge intake of breath, her body drenched in her own sweat. Her eyes quickly scanned the area to see she was still in Sam’s room. Sam sat up at her sudden movement, the worry evident in his eyes as he held her. Sammy could hear his voice, sounding like a warble in her ears that she couldn’t make out. She turned to face him, her eyes still wide in panic and confusion, before wrapping her arms around him tightly. She began to sob in his arms, unable to voice what it was she had just seen. Sam held her close, letting her cry, as he wondered what the Hell just happened.

Sammy paced in the Library, wringing her hands as the others gathered in their chairs around the table. They were all half-dressed, clinging to their coffee mugs with mostly shit eyes as Sammy insisted on rousing them to try and make sense of what she’d just endured.

“Okay Baby,” Sam breathed out with a long sigh, “So tell us what this dream thing is.”

“Yeah, and why you had to wake us up for it,” Dean grumbled into his coffee mug, his hair sticking up in different directions.

“R-right,” Sammy breathed in deeply, trying to collect her thoughts, “S-so you guys said sometimes dreams can be like… _more_ than dreams yeah? And Sam had  _visions_ where he could see the future like  _years_ ago right?”

Sam stiffened slightly, sitting upright in his chair as he focused his full attention on her. He reached for a hand, holding hers’ tightly and giving it a reassuring squeeze, “Tell us, Baby.”

“Well, in  _my_ dream, some Daedra showed up, started actually talking to me,” She blinked rapidly, feeling her eyes start to sting, “And  _showed_ me th-things.”

“Daedra?” Dean asked, his interest piqued. “What did you see?” he set down his mug, his brow furrowed as he looked at her. **  
**

“You don’t wanna know,” she answered quickly with bright wide eyes as she remembered, “I-it wasn’t good. Um…lets just say none of us survive this.””

“We probably  _don’t_ wanna know,” Shannon grumbled, “But we probably  _need_ to.”

She rolled her shoulders shaking her head, “It was just  _horrible_ all right!? And we all  _died_! Don’t make me  _describe it_!”

Shannon stood from her seat, slamming her hands down on the table as she glared at Sammy in irritation, “Goddamnit, Sammy. Just  _fucking_ tell us!” she yelled, huffing.

“ _Fine_!” Sammy wailed, “S-so I saw  _you_ getting dragged up onto some altar like you were about to be sacrificed! I saw  _Sam_ get fucking impaled by a damn sword, which made Dean go fucking  _nuts_ and he went charging in and was about to get torn to shreds! Then this dude fucking shows up and…h-he…he killed me. Azura said this is what’s going to happen if we don’t do shit right!”

“Okaaaay,” Dean breathed out, “Did she  _show_ you what the right thing  _is_?”

“They didn’t give me much to really go on,” she sniffled, “They said  _several_ artifacts will come over when they do, and to get rid of them and stop…what I saw, is to find them. They just show up, no info on  _where_ or what they  _are_.”

“So let me get this straight,” Dean said, rising from his seat and pacing, “We need to find these Daedra artifacts, which no one knows what or where they even are,” he raised a brow as his volume slowly increased, “To get rid of fifteen demi-gods that we don’t know where  _they_ are or  _who_ they’ll be?” he looks at the group, his arms outstretched to his sides, “Well  _that’s_ just fucking fantastic!” 

“S-so we’re screwed,” Sammy shrugged with a whimper, biting hard on her bottom lip as her eyes filled up again, “Shall I go grab some cyanide  _now_ or…?”

Sam reached for her, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around, kissing her hair and hushing her soothingly, “It’s okay,” he whispered to her.

“It is  _far_ from okay,” she scoffed, shaking her head and leaning into him, “O-oh the Daedra said they were called  _Azura_? If that’s anything to work with.”

“I’ll check the book,” Sam said, “See what I can find on this…Azura. Maybe it’ll mention something about these artifacts?” Sam shrugged, glancing over at Dean.

Dean nodded, grabbing his mug and rising from the table, wiping a hand down his tired face, “I’m gonna need more coffee,” he grumbled, making his way to the kitchen, giving a pat and squeeze to Shannon’s shoulder as he passed.

“I’m going on my  _fucking_ game for once,” Sammy whimpered, rubbing her eyes before sliding from Sam and leaving in a hurry.

“Seriously?” Shannon grumbled to Sam after Sammy had dashed off, “ _We_ get woken up, dropped with this  _bullshit_ , and now  _we’re_ stuck with the research while she gets to scurry off?” she rolled her eyes with a huff, “That’s fucking bullshit.” she grumbled again. **  
**

“Ah leave her to it,” Dean chuckled glancing over his shoulder, “I think she’s sulking ‘cause you yelled at her in your  _Mom_ voice.”

“My  _Mom_ voice?” Shannon sneered in question, “The fuck is  _that_ supposed to mean?”

“It  _is_ a bit of a  _Mom’s_ voice when you yell like that,” Sam agreed with a smirk.

“Fuck  _both_ of you,” she squeaked, getting from her seat and grabbing her empty mug, “Fuck  _all_  of you.” she added walking away, “Fucking Mom voice…the fuck?!” she could be heard grumbling to herself as she walked away.

“Think you went and touched a nerve there Dean?” Sam practically giggled, shaking his head, “Now they’re  _both_ sulking.”

“Oh, I’m not  _sulking_ ,” Shannon said, rapidly appearing in the room after a crash of dishes was heard from the kitchen, “I’m  _upset_.” she clarified, pointing at herself, “I’m  _tired_ , I’m pissed to all  _Hell_ because of all of these, these… _Supernatural_ type  _fucktards_ won’t leave us the hell alone!” she huffed, her eyes blazing with her anger as she looked between the boys.

The boys froze, eyes wide and sharing a quick glance.

“O-okay,” Dean held his hands up slightly and slowly started to approach her, “We’re sorry. Do you want me to make you some coffee?” his voice raised slighter higher in pitch on the last syllable and he smiled sheepishly.

“Don’t patronize me,” she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest while still glaring at him.

“Okay  _seriously_ now,” he smiled softly and genuinely, “It’s practically normal everyday crap to me and Sam. We joke and act like asses to get through it. I sometimes forget it’s all new to you. Get some more rest, me and Sam will work for now.” He rubbed her shoulder, shooting her a wink.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she grumbled, turning on her heel and marching back to Dean’s room to sleep.

“I  _am_ pretty cute,” he shrugged, before taking a breath turning back to Sam, “Let’s try and get some freaking work done in peace.”

“Dude,” Sam smirked, settling in and opening up a book, “That was pretty  _scary_.” he chuckled.

“Yup,” Dean nodded quickly, “ _Never_ mention the…  _M_ voice again.”

“Why is that so touchy?”

“Beats me,” Dean shrugged, “Probably not the best choice of words what with all this hanging over us about fuckling bloodlines.”

“Yeah, but with the marks gone, all  _that_ is technically gone.” Sam shrugged. **  
**

“I dunno,” Dean shrugged again at a loss, “Chicks are just  _weird_ sometimes.”

“Don’t I know it.” Sam breathed out on a long sigh, shaking his head. He paused, looking at his brother in thought as he nibbled on his lower lip, “Still kinda worth it though.”

“Damn right it is,” Dean agreed honestly, opening the Daedra book Sam had laid on the table in front of him, “Let’s see who Azura is.”

“Okay, so Azura appears to be a nicer Daedra,” Dean said after a long while, gesturing with one hand as he read from the book, “Prophecies are one of her things and she’s known for helping people and bringing visions,” Dean explained, turning the book and dropping it in front of Sam, pointing at the text, “From what I can tell, she has to exist in  _this_ realm to interact with people  _here_ , so I’m guessing they’ve already started showing up.”

“So we’re already running out of time,” Sam huffed, “ _Wonderful_.”

Dean came around the table, leaning over beside Sam as he flipped back a couple pages back in the book, scanning the text and tapping it with his index finger, “Says here the moment they show up in a realm, a magical artifact tied to them appears somewhere in the world. That artifact can be used against them to send them back.”

“That still doesn’t really help all that much…” Sam mumbled, eyes zipping from side to side as he skims read the page, “Doesn’t say what the artifacts are, or where they are likely to show up.”

“Can’t we find some way to track their energy? I mean, it’s gotta be different from what’s already around, right? Some kind of Daedric tracking spell?” Dean suggested.

“That could help us find the Daedra maybe,” Sam said before nodding, “Just hope the artifacts come  _with_ them. Maybe they’re protecting them if it’s the only thing in the world that could stop them.”

“If it can track the Daedra, it should be able to track the artifacts too, since the things  _come_ from them, right? And if the artifacts just randomly appear, who’s to say  _they_ even know where they are?”

Sam rubbed his eyes tiredly before moving his fingers to his temples, “This just…sucks…you know that, right?” Sam breathed out heavily, everything seeming so unnecessarily complicated. “Remember when we just did salt and burns?”

“Ah the good old times,” Dean sighed, “Back when we didn’t even know  _Demons_ were a thing.”

“Now all this shit,” Sam grumbled, gesturing to the books, “And I  _still_ can’t believe Heaven and Hell inserted themselves so  _intricately_ into our  _sex lives_ , of all things. Like…what the fuck?” Sam groaned.

“All right,” Dean chuckled before looking down his nose at Sam, “Maybe you should get a bit more rest too. You’re  _cranky_.”

Sam flashed him a classic bitchface, “Why are you so  _calm_ about all of this?” he accused, “You’re usually the one going all crazy and now you’re just…it’s like you’re not even  _worried_.” **  
**

“Dude,” Dean said seriously, “I’m  _terrified_ , but I gotta keep my game face, it’s a waste of time getting all pissy over it. So some new big bad comes along, we just do what we do. I promised myself that I’d keep Shannon safe.”

“You gonna push her away again?” Sam grumbled, opening the Daedra book once more and preparing himself to read every word.

“No  _actually_ ,” Dean scoffed, “I’m gonna sit my ass down here and find some way of tracking these fuckers so we can end them.  _And let_  you guys get to grips with your heads first and then you’re  _all_ coming to help.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Yes, sir.” he mocked.

“There it is,” Dean pointed at Sam with a smirk, “So  _cranky_.”

Sam glared at Dean, rising from the table and turning to walk down the hall, his eyes menacingly narrowed at his brother until he was out of sight.

A few hours passed before Sammy emerged from her room. She slinked down the halls quietly, looking for Shannon with an idea she’d dreamt up. One she knew the boys would scoff at. Finding Shannon’s room, she tentatively knocked on the door.

“Shannon?” she said quietly, quickly rubbing her tear-stained eyes and checking up and down the hall again, “You in there?”

Shannon grumbled something indecipherable as she rolled over in bed.

Sammy rolled her eyes and opened the door, letting herself in, “Hey,” she said quietly, scurrying over to the bed and kneeling beside it, “S-so I had this idea.”

Shannon huffed, turning over to look at Sammy with a scowl, “ _Don’t_ make me kill you,” she warned.

“Okay, okay,” Sammy said quickly with a sheepish smile, “So I went and downloaded Skyrim off the Playstation store right? ‘Cause I thought, hey, it’s pretty much research  _and_ gaming rolled into one.  _But_ , that got me thinking of, heh, when we used to get mega  _stoned_ and play Skyrim all night,” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, “D’ya think we can pick up?”

“Research. Gaming. Getting stoned,” Shannon said, a smirk growing on her face, “Hells yes.” she laughed, getting up from the bed.

“ _Yasss_ ,” Sammy grinned with delight, it’d been far too long since she’d last been high, “B-but, I don’t know how… _they’ll_ react to that idea…Maybe we can just… _sneak out_  or something?” 

Shannon sat in thought for a moment. She remembered Sam and Dean’s reactions to them merely answering the door before. She nibbled on her lip, arguing with herself that that was before when they had the marks. But surely, with the marks gone, then there was no longer that ‘soulmate threat’ hanging over them.  **  
**

“Yeah,” she agreed, “We can walk, it’s not that far.”

“Yeah,” Sammy nodded as her confidence grew, “I mean, we’re adults, we can  _go out_  whenever we damn please anyways. Let’s find some smoke!”

They got dressed and packed a small bag between them before slinking through the halls. They peeked into the Library, seeing Sam and Dean still hard at work, reading and taking notes. Shannon gestured to Sammy to move back. 

“We should go out through the garage,” Shannon whispered, “But we can’t take a car or they’ll hear us.”

Sammy nodded with a smirk as the  _Mission Impossible_  theme played in her head, she moved with light steps towards the direction of the garage.

They opened the garage door just enough to slink through, closing it gently behind them before trekking up the tunnel and towards town.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shannon and Sammy obtain their prize, but actions have consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 Warnings: HEED THE WARNINGS!!! Gratuitous Recreational Drug Use, Graphic (and downright pornographic) Smut, Orgy? (Voyeurism, Exhibitionism), EXTREME Dub-con, A/B/O Dynamics (knotting/claiming), Unprotected Sex, Gratuitous Fourth Wall and Inside Humor, F/F Sexual Activities, Minor Hinted Wincest

“You’ll never cease to amaze me, Shannon,” Sammy grinned gleefully as she licked the rolling paper and assembled the first joint as they walked the empty countryside. “No matter what happens, you  _always_ find a way for us to pick up!” She pulled a lighter from her pocket, offering it and the spliff to Shannon to light. **  
**

She took it, lighting it up and taking a long dry, nearly coughing from the hit as she passed it, “I’m just  _good_ with people,” she smirked.

“Is it good?” Sammy asked excitedly, the scent of the burning bud hitting her senses, “ _Fuck_ that smells strong…”

Sammy took the joint eagerly and took a long drag, her eyes practically rolling into the back of her head. She eventually exhaled, coughing slightly which turned into an excited giggle, “ _Oh shit_ ,” she giggled harder.

“I feel kinda  _tingly_ all over,” Shannon giggled, passing it to Sammy and stumbling slightly as they slowly trekked back to the Bunker.

“Oh  _really_?” Sammy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, taking another hit and passing back with a giggle, “I mean…we  _both_ know that some of those stoned nights we had sometimes got… _experimental_.”

Shannon smirked knowingly, stopping in her tracks and turning to Sammy, “Oh, I remember,” she said, before crashing her lips into Sammy’s and tangling her hands in her hair. 

Sammy whined submissively as heat flooded to her cheeks, she clung to Shannon’s shirt, tilting her head to deepen the kiss and parting her lips to allow their tongues to meet.

They were so suddenly entranced in each other,  _craving_ the contact, that the joint was forgotten, dropped to the ground. It took until it was too late to hide before they heard the Impala’s engine coming towards them. They broke apart as the headlights shone on them. They lifted their arms to shield from the light, both feeling irritable at the interruption.

“What the  _hell_ is going on!?” Dean roared, slamming the door behind him as he climbed out and approached the girls, he recoiled slightly as he got closer, sniffing the air, “D-do I smell fucking  _weed_?”

“ _Whaaaaat_?” Shannon squealed, over acting, “Naaaaaahhh.”

“W-we just felt like going out for a walk?” Sammy offered with a shrug, unable to hide her smirk. Biting her lip as Sam climbed out of the car and approached with a stern look, “a-and pick up an ounce?”

“You  _bought_ an  _ounce_?” Sam asked in surprise as he rounded the car to stand next to Dean in front of the girls. He narrowed his eyes as he quickly scanned the both of them, “How high  _are_ you?”

“Yes,” Sammy giggled, elbowing Shannon playfully as they shared an in-joke, “Look, it’s for  _research_ purposes, trust me on this.”

“Research purposes?” Sam smirked, “Oh I’ve  _gotta_ hear this,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and adjusting his stance as he waited for the response.

The girls both giggled as Sammy kept trying to speak and explain but kept bursting into guffaws. She suddenly straightened, pointing at Sam and nodding, “Right,” she grinned, “I downloaded  _Skyrim_ , a-and that was  _relatively_ accurate in what Mora was like.  _So_ , we can play through it and get a heads up! But  _that_ means we gotta play through it  _quickly_ , and trust me, Shannon and I can pull  _all-nighters_  on that bastard when we’re stoned outta our minds.” **  
**

Sam and Dean exchanged a long look before looking back at the girls. “She kind of has a point,” Dean grumbled to Sam reluctantly.

“Ha!” Sammy jumped with delight, “Really?  _Awesome_! Can we go back then?”

Sam stood straighter, letting his arms drop to his sides as he smirked in disbelief, one of his dimples popping. Shannon giggled, leaning in towards Sammy, “Sam is  _so_ fucking hot right now,” Shannon giggled.

“ _Right_?” Sammy mumbled back, the two giggling amongst themselves in their private conversation, “Dean when he got outta the car all huffy and mad though? So hot when he’s mad.”

Shannon’s eyes went wide with excitement, a smirk on her lips as she playfully slapped Sammy’s arm to get her attention, “Dude!” she said, all pretense of being quiet gone, “Did I tell you Dean  _finally_ banged me?”

Both boys stared wide-eyed, Dean’s jaw almost dropping in horror, “Hey, I’m standing  _right_ here!”

“No shit,  _really_!?” Sammy squealed with delight, jumping on the spot with a giggle and ignoring Dean’s outburst, “Dude, me and Sam did it a few nights ago! So, was it  _hot_?”

“Totally hot,” Shannon nodded in agreement, making to elaborate before Dean stepped forward, waving his hands.

“Nope, sharing time is over,” he said, grabbing Shannon and guiding her towards the car. 

Sam huffed a laugh, turning to Sammy, “Well, come on then,” he said, gesturing her towards the car.

“Mmmm,” Sammy hummed seductively, playing with the buttons on his jacket as she slowly moved past him and bit her lip, “Yes  _sir_ …” she winked before climbing into the car and scooching up close to Shannon on the rear seats.

Sam let out a shuddering breath as he licked his bottom lip, his eyes trailing over her hips and ass hungrily as she walked towards the rear of the Impala and climbed in with a wink. He shook his head, letting out a long breath, before climbing in the passenger seat and shutting the door behind him. 

“Should I roll another one?” Sammy asked with a narrowed brow before smirking as she looked at Shannon, “Kinda.. _heh_ , lost track of what happened to the last one.”

“I kind of want to fuck you,” Shannon stated matter-of-factly as she looked at Sammy, “I miss it.”

“Wait,  _what_!?” Dean froze with wide eyes as he stared at the blushing duo in the rearview mirror.

“I miss it too,” Sammy sighed dreamily, running her fingers through Shannon’s hair and pulling her in for another kiss. **  
**

“What is happening?!” Sam breathed out with wide eyes as he looked at Dean. He chanced a glance into the backseat, seeing the girls in full on second-base makeout mode. He forced himself to turn around, looking out the windshield as he tried to subtly adjust himself in his pants. “Just…get us back to the Bunker,” he begged his brother.

“R-right,” Dean stuttered shakily, tearing his eyes away from the mirror and trying to ignore the purrs and moans of pleasure happening right behind him. He swallowed the lump in his throat, before hastily slamming the car in the gear and taking off down the road.

As Dean threw the car in park in the Bunker’s garage, he shut off the engine, looking over at his brother before looking back at the girls. Shannon had gotten Sammy’s shirts off, leaving her in her bra as she nibbled down her neck.

“ _Fuuuuck_ ,” Dean breathed out, unsure what to do at this point, but not in a  _rush_ to figure it out either. “Maybe,” Dean licked his lips, glancing at Sam, “Maybe we just see what happens?” he shrugged.

Sammy’s eyes flashed mischievously with an idea as she bit her lip and nudged Shannon’s chin up to look her in the eyes, “Maybe we should smoke some more first,” she flashed a glance at the boys, “Make it a  _real_ party.”

Shannon pulled from Sammy, a smirk on her own lips as she agreed. She turned to Dean then, a glint in her eyes as she pouted playfully at him, “Smoke with us?” she asked sweetly.

“Uh…” Dean’s cheeks went pink as he couldn’t stop the small smirk that played on his lips, “Well it’s been a while since  _I’ve_ smoked, and  _this guy’s_  only ever had Oregano.” Dean pointed at Sam and chuckled.

“How about,” Shannon said, leaning forward between the brothers and ghosting her fingers over their forearms, “For every  _decent_ hit you take,” she smiled seductively, “Sammy and I have to do something you  _tell us_  to do.”

“ _Oooh_ ,” Sammy sang with a knowing grin, biting her tongue as she glanced at Sam, “That sounds  _fun_!”

“For example,” Shannon said, leaning back in the seat and turning to Sammy, “If you said you wanted her to  _sing_ ,” she said, nibbling at the base of Sammy’s neck, then sucking a mark on the soft skin, causing Sammy to moan sinfully.

“Okay, ladies,” Dean smiled before narrowing his eyes at Sam, “Could you just give us both a minute please?”

“I’ll roll then,” Sammy hummed, Shannon and her skipping off into the bunker as Sammy left her shirts behind.

“What the hell has gotten into them?” Sam asked Dean, almost in a panic, “I mean…that’s  _new_ …right?”

“ _Well_ …” Dean scratched his head as he thought, “It’s not exactly like they’ve been  _quiet_ about their… _experiments_. But I wasn’t expecting  _this_. Maybe this is just what they’re like when they’re stoned?” 

“Okay,” Sam nodded, “I can accept  _all_ of that,” he agreed, “ _However_ , they  _invited_ us to be a part of it. Now, I’m pretty damn  _certain_ that  _that’s_ new!” **  
**

“Yup, that’s  _definitely_ new,” Dean nodded, dropping his head and sighing, “S-so what? Do we stop them?”

“I didn’t say that,” Sam was quick to defend, “I just mean, are we okay with what  _might_ happen if we go along with it? And…are we  _really_ going to ‘get high’?” he rolled his eyes.

Dean chuckled, shaking his head as he tried to decide something he’d never thought he’d have to decide. “You know what?” he said with a shrug, “The way things have been lately, I say fuck it and roll with it. Pun intended.”

“If you say so,” Sam sighed as he reluctantly agreed, following Dean into the Bunker in search of the girls. They found them huddled in Sammy’s room, sat cross-legged on the bed as Sammy rolled a series of joints,  _Skyrim_ sat on the title screen on the TV.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about the  _Skyrim_ thing,” Dean raised an eyebrow and scoffed as he and Sam entered the room and stood awkwardly.

Shannon reached for Dean, urging him to sit behind her on the bed and grabbing an arm to hold around her middle, “Do you have any idea how  _hot_ you are?” she smirked at him over her shoulder.

“Wow,” Dean chuckled, pecking her lips and catching a glimpse of the numerous spliffs Sammy had laid out before her already, “You two seem  _pretty_ baked enough already.”

“No such thing,” Shannon tittered, reaching for a joint and lighting it up, taking several small puffs before passing it to Sammy. Sam mirrored Dean, sitting behind Sammy, his chin resting on her shoulder as he watched what she was doing.

Sammy hummed, leaning back into him as she took a hit, slowly exhaling a long plume of smoke and half opening her eyes, “I’m gonna need to make a new character,” she slurred slightly with a small giggle, “Imma call him  _Flame Boy_!”

Shannon giggled, nodding in agreement as she watched Sam accepting the joint from Sammy and examining it. “Can I just say,” Shannon pointed out before Sam took a hit, “that I’m happy you two are smoking with us. And I’m very happy to be a part of Sam’s truly first time!” she teased with a woot.

Sam coughed as he exhaled, blinking rapidly and shaking his head as he passed it to Dean, “Whoa…” he mumbled, smirking slightly, “That’s  _strong_.”

“Yeah, this guy I found had  _really_ good stuff,” Shannon agreed, watching as Dean took a surprisingly large hit and let it out smooth, “ _You_ know what you’re doing,” she accused with a smirk as she accepted it back from him.

“ _Guilty_ ,” Dean chuckled with a smirk, shrugging under Sam’s glare, “Oh c’ mon, stop being a  _health freak_.”

“You ever had a  _shotgun_?” Shannon asked with a smirk as she turned in Dean’s arms, rising to her knees and holding the joint as she looked down at him.

Sammy giggled, clicking her thumbs on the controller as menu’s flicked on screen. She side-eyed the duo and whispered to Sam, “She’s gonna fuck him up.” **  
**

“Can’t say I have,” Dean answered honestly with a curious smile.

“Do you trust me?” she asked gently, her breath fanning teasingly over his lips, her eyes staring at his lips before she met his gaze.

“ _Always_ , Baby,” he said softly, snaking his arms around her lower back and pecking her lips.

She smiled warmly before climbing into his lap, her legs straddling him. She placed the joint backward in her mouth and wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, pulling him to her. She blew a  _strong_ string of smoke and Dean inhaled deeply, taking as much as he could. She passed the joint to Sammy and rested her hands on Dean’s shoulders as she watched for his reaction.

“Holy shit,” Dean groaned, feeling a tingling sensation course through his body. He sighed out, his hold on Shannon tightening as he felt his cheeks begin to burn. He gazed back at her, biting his tongue which peaked between his teeth, “You are  _so_ fucking hot, Baby.”

She giggled and blushed, playfully slapping his shoulder, “You’re just baked,” she laughed, climbing off his lap and turning back towards the TV, watching as Sammy began making the character.

Thus began a long debate. The four of them shouting out suggestions for how they wanted the character to look. The more weed that got smoked, the more ridiculous things got. Eventually ending up with some hulking monstrosity of an Orc with luscious long  _Sam Princess Hair_. 

“Aw, but if it’s  _female_ , I can’t call them Flame Boy!” Sammy protested when they were at the naming stage.

“So instead of a male with fire, do a female with lightning!” Shannon said excitedly, “Call her uh…Storm? No, that’s an x-men,” she grumbled.

“Call her  _Sparky_ ,” Dean huffed a laugh.

“ _Fucking Sparky_ ,” Sammy chuckled, typing the name in, “This is already ridiculous. We got a stealthy Orc that specializes in Heavy Armour, Bare-handed and Electric Magic. We’re losing so damn fast.”

“Nah, ‘cause she’s fueled by her  _womaned scorned RAGE_ ,” Sam laughed.

“So, you mean  _Menstrual Rage_?” Sammy scoffed with a giggle, “‘Cause boy, I know that rage hard. I could easily murder a dragon with my fists when it’s Shark Week.”

“Hey,” Dean cut in, “Wasn’t the deal that we smoke and you all  _do_?” he teased, wiggling his brows.

“Hey I’ve sat here gaming and  _waiting_ for you guys,” Sammy tittered as she kept her eyes focused on the screen, “Any longer you’ll have a  _hell_ of a job distracting me away.”

“Oh really?” Sam said, reaching around her and slowly plucking the controller from her fingers, tossing it aside as he looked at her over her shoulder, “So far, I’ve hit it  _twice_ , which means I get  _two commands_ ,” he said, his fingers digging into her sides before he reached for another joint, “But see, I’m gonna smoke this  _slowly_ , on my own, as I lay back and watch you do  _everything_ I ask.” he smirked, nipping at her shoulder. **  
**

“ _Holy fucking shit_ …” Sammy mumbled with a dark smirk, taking a joint of her own and lighting it, “Challenge accepted.”

“ _Fuck_ , that was hot,” Shannon breathed out, involuntarily shifting in her seat for some friction.

“ _Right_?” Sammy giggled, smoking eagerly and then offering it Shannon.

“Hey,” Dean piped up with a smirk, “I’ve had a few hits too ya know? I got some… _ideas_ ,” he winked at Shannon and Sammy.

“I bet  _mine_ are dirtier,” Shannon smirked, passing the joint back to Sammy, and wondering briefly why she’d said that aloud.

“Be as dirty as you want,” Sammy chuckled as she took another hit, “I’m game for  _anything_ right now,” she blurted out openly and not even caring.

Sam lit his joint and propped himself up against pillows propped on the headboard. He smirked at the girls, a twinkle in his eyes as he took a hit, blowing out the smoke and grinning wickedly. 

“How about we start,” Sam said, pulling out his phone, “With a lovely little strip tease from you two?” he grinned, starting up a song on his phone.

“Oh,  _someone’s_ wanting a little  _show_ huh?” Sammy giggled, looking at Shannon and biting her tongue, “I’m sure we can manage that.”

Shannon reached for Sammy, the two of them standing by the foot of the bed, swaying to the music and giggling while they found their rhythm. Dean sat next to Sam, leaning back and smoking his own joint as he watched the girls move.

Sammy pulled Shannon close and ghosted her lips across Shannon’s neck with long hot breaths, her fingers playing with the hem of Shannon’s shirt which she slowly started rolling up. Pulling it over the swell of Shannon’s breasts and then up and over her head, Sammy beamed at the sight and said sweetly, “I  _always_ loved that bra on you.”

“This is  _by far_  one of the best things that have ever happened,” Dean breathed out to his brother as he watched, hypnotized.

“Definitely,” Sam agreed quickly, his eyes fixed on the girls as he swallowed a lump down in his throat.

Sammy now took Shannon’s hands, guiding them to her jeans’ button before moving her own to work on Shannon’s.

Shannon swatted her hands away, moving to stand behind Sammy as her hands trailed down over her breasts, down her stomach, and to her jeans, slowly unfastening them and working them down over her hips as they continued swaying together to the music. **  
**

Sammy hummed in delighted surprise, letting Shannon do her thing and allowing her jeans to fall and pool on the ground. She mirrored Shannon’s movements on her, grinning and biting her lip as she watched the boys grow more flustered.

“You two okay over there?” she asked in a tease.

Shannon smirked, catching Dean’s eye as Sammy switched positions, slowly undressing Shannon, leaving the girls in just their bras and panties.

“Whatever shall you have us do now?” Shannon feigned innocence as the song ended and they stood, grinning proudly at the state they’d whipped the boys into.

“You could remove the rest?” Dean grinned, taking another hit and exhaling slowly with lust blown eyes, “Maybe even lay on the bed here…” he suggested, scooting up to make a larger space on the bed for them.

“As you wish,” Shannon crooned as she knelt on the end of the bed, locking her eyes with Dean as she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside, smirking as he licked his lips.

“And Sammy can come on over here too,” he said lowly, “Show us how these little  _experiments_ of yours go, and start our own.”

Sammy hummed with a grin, following the instructions and laying on the bed next to Shannon. The girls laid on their sides, Sammy’s back towards Sam and Shannon’s towards Dean. Dean breathed into Shannon’s hair, holding a hand on her side and ghosting her neck, “Seeing you both like this is driving me fucking crazy, you know that?”

“Both huh?” Shannon smirked, grinding her hips back into Dean as she briefly caught Sam’s eye, “You thinking about what you want  _Sammy_ to do for you?”

“I think I got a rough idea where he’s going,” Sammy smirked, leaning into Shannon and gently pressing lips on hers. She hummed, sliding her hands up Shannon’s body and cupping her breasts.

Shannon sighed happily at Sammy’s touch, the tingling in her body intensifying and every caress feeling  _intense_. She trailed her fingers down Sammy’s torso, tugging on the waistband of her panties, before smoothing her palm over the cloth-covered mound.

“Work each other up,” Dean ordered softly, “But no cumming yet.”

“But she’s so  _pretty_ when she comes,” Shannon whined in protest, rubbing her hand harder over Sammy’s core.

“ _Shut up!_ ” Sammy protested bashfully, burying her face into the crook of Shannon’s neck, “Say’s  _you_.” 

Shannon slipped a finger under the side of Sammy’s underwear, rubbing her knuckle over her wet slit teasingly and hearing her shuddering whines. Her hips involuntarily ground back into Dean as she focused on Sammy. **  
**

“ _Bitch_ ,” Sammy whined before sighing out a wicked smile, she stroked her fingers down Shannon’s belly to her naked pussy where she drew a long line with a single-digit down her entrance, grinning at the slick that collected, “You’re  _wet too_ ,” she accused playfully, before sliding her finger through to the knuckle.

Sam groaned wantonly as he watched Sammy press a finger into Shannon, his eyes glued to the wetness glistening there. He subconsciously licked his lips, before his eyes shot to Dean, who too was enraptured at the scene. Then Dean looked up, meeting Sam’s gaze. Dean licked his bottom lip and Sam’s eye caught the movement. He suddenly realized how  _plump_ Dean’s lips were. The thought caught him off guard, like an alarm in his head, but he somehow couldn’t really bring himself to care. He took another lazy drag from his joint, blowing the smoke out over the girls as they writhed together between the boys.

“I want to make her  _cum_ ,” Sammy whined, looking at Dean with pleading eyes, “C’ mon, what next?”  she asked eagerly.

Dean flashed a glance at Sam, before looking back at Sammy, “Now you two get to undress us,” Dean smirked, “but you gotta do me,” he winked at Sammy.

“W-what?” Sammy stuttered as she gazed into Dean’s eyes with burning hot cheeks. She glanced at Shannon, then back at Sam, “A-and Shannon… _does_ Sam?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll be honest with you,” Shannon said, eyeing Sam hungrily, “I don’t think I could undress him without cumming.”

Sammy sputtered a short laugh, holding her burning cheeks and blinking quickly, “Why is this hot? Sh-should we be finding this hot?”

“It just is,” Dean said eagerly as the girls shifted positions to kneel in front of Sam and Dean. Dean reached his hands out towards Sammy, finding the curve in her sides and running his hands up and down, feeling her skin.

“ _So_ hot,” Sam growled, pulling Shannon onto his lap, and holding his arms around her lower back, “I  _loved_ watching you both get all worked up and ready for us.”

“I love looking at you any chance I get,” Shannon admitted, inwardly cursing herself, but outwardly clinging to him in hungry anticipation.

Dean tangled a hand in Sammy’s hair, tugging her face down towards his as he teased his mouth against hers, breathing onto her lips and feeling her tremble. He ghosted his lips over her jaw to her ear, “The  _things_ I wanna do to you,” he breathed into her ear before nipping the lobe.

Sammy sighed out a long shaky gasp, clutching to him and letting her eyes wander to Shannon and Sam, prompting a flutter deep down in her guts as her entire body grew scorchingly hot. She looked back at Dean with dark lust blown eyes, pressing her body into his and grazing her lips along with his, “You can do whatever you want,” she whispered into his ear.

“Sam,” Dean whined, “Please tell me you’re cool with this,” he breathed out in desperation before his eyes went wide, “Shit, wait. I don’t have any condoms ‘cause of Gabe,” he remembered his and Shannon’s recent interlude with a smirk. **  
**

“Oh  _please_ tell me you’re joking,” Sam groaned, cursing Gabe under his breath.

Shannon whined, grinding lightly in Sam’s lap as his hands squeezed at her sides. She bit her lip, staring at his, before pouting as she met his eyes.

“I can make a run,” Dean swallowed hard, reluctant to walk away from what was happening.

“You’re fucking  _baked_!” Sammy whined, hating that she was saying this, “You can’t  _drive_ like that. Oh my God…” she looked at Shannon helplessly.

“Maybe this is something telling us we shouldn’t be doing this,” Shannon said softly, climbing off of Sam’s lap and reluctantly searching for her clothes, her body protesting the lack of touch.

“Well don’t say it like  _that_ ,” Sammy frowned as she watched Shannon scoop up her clothes, “That just makes me want it  _more_ ,” she turned back to Dean and then Sam, sighing defeatedly.

_Let’s not stop the show._  Sammy heard a high-pitched male voice echo in her mind.  _Continue with the debauchery for my merriment!_  Sammy felt her eyes pulled back to the joints still laying on the bed, her hands reaching forward of their own accord as she grabbed them up, ready to pass them out.

“Huh…” she frowned again, watching her hands move for a lighter, “I guess we’re smoking some more then.” She was baked enough not to question her wanting to smoke even more, but something was amiss.

Sam looked at Shannon with a frown, missing her in his arms and being so close. He furrowed his brow at the thought, turning his gaze towards Sammy, still nude and in his brother’s lap. He wanted to reach for her but instead sat watching, his eyes trailing over her exposed body as she gathered the joints and handed them out, one to each of them. Automatically, Sam accepted and lit the joint, inhaling deeply. His mind told him something was off, but he couldn’t focus enough to figure out what.

“Dean,” Sam said on an exhale, “I feel like I forgot something,” Sam said, confused, “Like when you leave the house and think you left the iron on,” he added, struggling to think.

“S’fine,” Dean mumbled into Sammy’s neck, though his brain was screaming  _You Think!_

Sammy took a hit from her joint, closing her eyes and humming at the feel of Dean’s hot breath fanning over her neck. The moment had been somewhat killed by the lack of condoms, the lusty mist in her head clearing somewhat and she could… _see_ something. She frowned, looking at the joint before focusing on the picture in her mind. C’mon, the voice hissed, followed by the sound of pages turning,  _What really fucks these girls up? A/B/O Apocalypse?_

“Do you guys hear that?” Sammy asked everyone, her head tilting in confusion, as text now appeared in her mind, “What’s an FGA Masterlist?”

Shannon tilted her head as she stared at Sammy, the words unfamiliar yet somehow  _known_ to her, “FGA?” she asked, her brow deeply furrowed.

_Hooo hoho_ , the voice now tittered mischievously,  _Dirty girls…now one of these…’heats’ sure sounds like a lot of fun, don’t you think?_

“Am I  _seriously_ the only person hearing that?” Sammy asked in a panic before she felt a cramping sensation in her guts, she grimaced slightly before another wave hit and she nearly doubled over, clutching her stomach and moaning.

Sam looked at her in concern, quickly moving to scoop her up and rest her in his lap as he held her, “Hey, what’s happening? What’s wrong?” he asked hurriedly.

“I-I don’t know,” she winced with wide eyes as the voice continued in her head,  _Stunning, let’s see how your friend handles it_. Sammy glanced at Shannon with worried eyes.

Shannon stood at the foot of the bed, now dressed, as she watched a naked Sammy writhe in pain suddenly, her cries causing worry to twist in her stomach. As Sammy turned to meet Shannon’s gaze with such intense concern, Shannon started fidgeting, looking at Dean in panic before she was suddenly hit with a harsh cramp that made her wince.

“Shannon?” Dean sat up with a concern, hastily grabbing for her to sit next to him, he shot Sam a worried look, “What the fuck is even  _happening_!?”

“Intense cramping and fever,” Shannon spat out quickly through clenched teeth as a harsher cramp rolled through her belly. She could hear Sammy whimper before a sweet scent hit her. She turned her head, realizing it was suddenly coming from Sammy, like a thick pheromone blanket of  _fuck me_.

_Not bad_ , the mysterious voice chuckled in Sammy’s head once more,  _now for the icing on the cake_. Sammy looked up at Sam to see his nostrils flare, his pupils dilate, and his breathing grows heavier suddenly. From what she could hear, something similar was happening to Dean as well.

“S-Sam?” Sammy gulped, a strange scent washing over her as felt her core clench and a ridiculous pool of slick forming between her thighs. She clung to him desperately, nearly all sense of reality leaving her and all she could think about was him.

Dean clenched his jaw, feeling a rumble in his throat as he growled and tugged Shannon to his chest, ghosting his lips over hers as his breaths came long and slow, “Mine,” he mumbled, staring into her eyes.

Shannon looked at him with wide eyes, her jaw slack as she turned to look at Sammy. She was clinging to Sam, silently begging for him. Sam was tilting his head this way and that, regarding Sammy like a curious predator playing with its food. 

Shannon looked back at Dean, “Something’s not right,” she whined, gasping and clinging onto Dean as another cramp rolled through her and she felt herself growing desperate to have Dean all over her.

_Seems pretty all right to me_ , the voice echoed in Sammy’s mind,  _You should be thanking me really, so, you’re welcome._

Dean quickly captured Shannon’s lips with a hungry growl, his hands grabbing her sides firmly as he turned them both so she laid back on the pillow and his frame towered over her. **  
**

“Dean,  _wait_ ,” Shannon breathed out unconvincingly as her hand simultaneously fisted in his shirt and tried to push him back. Dean snarled, going in for another harsh kiss.

Sam looked down at Sammy, gently caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. He shifted her so she was straddling his lap as he wrapped his arms around her, “I can  _smell_ how much you need me,” he moaned, before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

She cursed and whined between the kiss, a hand of her seeming to move of its own accord as she found the growing bulge in his jeans and palmed in hungrily. “I do,” she admitted with a grimace as another cramp cursed through her, “Sam,  _please_.”

Dean’s fingers had found the hem of Shannon’s top, dipping underneath and brushing her warm skin. He rolled the material up until he found one of her breasts, tweaking her nipple between his thumb and finger. “Need you, Baby,” he grunted, his other hand mirroring on the other breast.

Sam gripped Sammy tightly, turning and laying her back on the bed a few inches from Shannon. He let his eyes roam over her naked body and back up again, meeting her eyes, “I’m gonna take care of you,” he promised, whipping off his shirts and lowering himself over her once more, laying kisses across her neck.

“Dean,” Shannon moaned out, tugging lightly on his hair. She turned her head, catching Sammy’s eyes for a quick moment, finding the situation entirely worrisome and somehow also the  _hottest_ thing she’d ever experienced. A nearly nauseating wave of lust coursed through her suddenly as all the scents in the room swam together in a thick fog around them. Her eyes fluttered as she looked back at Dean, seeing the primal hunger in his eyes.

Sammy caught Shannon’s look, her mind reeling at the entire situation, one side of her reveling in it, the actual logical side of her brain screaming with so many alarms it was almost deafening. The oddest feeling of it all, however, was that she really didn’t fucking care, she was so high with weed and lust and  _whatever the fuck_  this was, all she wanted was Sam. She arched up to meet him, crashing her lips with his and whining hungrily as her hands worked at his jeans button.

Dean began a trail of pecks along Shannon’s jaw and down her neck and collarbone. When reaching the swell of her breast, he sucked a long kiss, marking the skin before twirling his tongue around her swollen bud. His hand played with the waistband of her pants impatiently.

Sam helped as he and Sammy worked together to remove his jeans and boxers, leaving both of them naked. Sam’s hand trailed down her body, his fingers dragging through her slit and feel the slick coating her. His breath hitched at just how wet she was, his mind trying to comprehend it. His eyes flashed over to Shannon and Dean, feeling like none of it was real. He looked back down at Sammy and her rosy cheeks and lust blown eyes, his cock twitching and obliterating any other thoughts than to  _consume_ her.

Shannon gasped as Dean’s mouth worked on her. She turned her head, catching sight of Sam in all his glory and she moaned loudly, her eyes fluttering shut as her hands gripped Dean’s hair tight, holding him to her.

“Is this real?” Shannon whispered to no one in particular, feeling euphoric and high. **  
**

“Not sure if I care right now,” Dean grunted, whipping his shirt over his head. He leaned over her, letting their exposed skin connect as he tugged her pants down and over her hips, “I just want you, Baby. Need to be inside you.”

Sammy felt herself clench as she heard Dean’s words, seeing them almost reflected in Sam’s hungry eyes as he watched over her.

_Let’s really confuse them_ , the voice sounded in Sam’s mind again with a sinister chuckle. Before she could process it, Sam had buried his face in her neck, nuzzling his nose against her as he breathed her in deeply, his hips grinding against hers, his cock sliding through her slick folds teasingly, “You smell so good,” he breathed out against her neck, nipping at the skin, causing a loud moan to fall from her lips. “ _Omega_ ,” he growled against her skin, grinding harder against her.

Shannon whimpered, hearing Sam’s growled words, more slick spreading from her folds as she shook in need and anticipation. Dean finished removing their clothes, climbing over her once more and spreading her legs wide as he began rutting himself against her.

Suddenly, the four of them cried out as they felt a seizing pain to their muscles. It quickly passed, leaving them momentarily confused. Sam twitched his muscles, feeling them respond slightly differently than usual. He looked down at Sammy and growled, his body twitching, ready to strike. He looked down between them, grasping himself at the base. His mind screamed as he realized something was different. There was now a broad ring of muscle at the base of his cock,  _throbbing_. But the instincts of his body seemed calm and knew what to do. He glanced over at Dean, seeing a similar reaction.

Dean sighed shakily as he gave himself a few pumps, simultaneously drawing small circles on Shannon’s exposed clit with his free hand. He clenched his teeth at the new sensation the throbbing muscle gave. He cursed as he felt Shannon slick gather on his fingers, he impatiently slid a long digit through her entrance the knuckle, groaning as he felt her warmth. “Feel so fucking good, can’t wait to fuck that tight pussy,” he mumbled lowly, sliding in a second digit. 

Sammy moaned hungrily at the sight of Sam throbbing cock, her hips rolling involuntarily with need. She quickly sat up, pushing him back onto his knees while she climbed and hovered her sopping entrance over him, “ _Fuck me, Alpha_ ,” she moaned in a voice that almost didn’t sound like her anymore.

Sam’s hands firmly grasped her hips and he snarled before slamming his length up into her, gasping as she let out a silent scream. He smirked in satisfaction, groaning at feeling her bare around him. He kissed over her heart and up her neck as he waited for her to adjust to him.

Shannon writhed under Dean’s skilled fingers. She felt Sammy move and turned to see Sam slamming himself into her. He completely disappeared inside of her and from her angle, Shannon could see  _everything_. “Oh  _God_ ,” she breathed out, feeling herself gush more slick as she stared at the other couple.

 

Dean couldn’t help but glance at what had caught Shannon’s attention. The sight and sounds made his stomach roll with hunger. Their moans and groans of satisfaction were sound he’d never thought he’d hear from the two of them, and it stirred something in him, his cock throbbing so harshly it was almost painful to hold back any longer. He swiftly withdrew his fingers from Shannon’s sopping core, quickly replacing them by slamming his hard cock through her folds to the hilt with a loud growl.

Sammy moaned at the feel of Sam and whined at the sound of Dean. She pushed her hips down to force Sam’s cock even deeper, tangling her hands in his hair and pressing her forehead to his as a melody of satisfied curses and moans rolled over her lips and onto his. **  
**

“ _Alpha_ ,” Shannon whined as Dean slammed home. Her thighs shook slightly with the force and she wiggled her hips, urging him to move.

Sam held on tightly to Sammy, gradually increasing his pace until he was pounding into her harshly, tugging her down onto him with every thrust he made up. “Come on my cock, ‘Mega,” Sam panted, “And I’ll knot you good, Baby.” Sam was  _desperate_ to make her scream, feeling a need to upstage Dean for some reason.

Sammy’s mind reeled as she moaned so harshly it was almost a snarl, she ground her hips down hungrily. She didn’t really know what Sam’s words meant, but her instincts had completely taken over by this point. Judging by how they were reacting, they wanted this. She moved in sync with him, meeting his erratic thrusts desperately.

Dean was busy devouring Shannon’s exposed breasts with his mouth, his hips moving in long harsh thrusts as his ears picked up on Sam’s words. He glanced at the duo, feeling something competitive stir inside him. Sammy sounded  _sinfully_ good, but he knew he could make Shannon sound even better. His arm snaked under Shannon’s lower back propping her up to meet him as he picked up his pace, biting his tongue at the sound of her moans. “Gonna fill that pussy right up, Baby,” he promised, drawing his free hand down to her clit and pressing firmly on the bud of nerves, “Drag me right over that edge, sing for me ‘Mega.”

Shannon’s mind screamed a million things, but she couldn’t focus on a single one of them as Dean’s words seemed to be everything her body wanted to hear. Her body tensed like a tightly wound coil before snapping and exploding outwards, a scream of Dean’s name ripping from her throat. She instinctively turned her head, baring her neck to him, and her hands dug into his back, urging him.

Sam cursed under his breath. The sounds of both the girls, the sounds of  _Dean_ and the things he was saying. Everything crashed together into a beautiful mess in Sam’s mind. He tossed Sammy back on the mattress with a growl, sliding himself back inside of her harshly and starting up a brutal pace.

Dean’s mind almost went white as he felt that throbbing ring of muscle start to swell as he came undone with a roar. Shannon’s neck caught his eye invitingly, prompting him to crash his mouth into the soft flesh, biting and sucking a deep mark between his grunts and curses. The muscle had swelled so much Dean could barely move his hips anymore, his eye rolled into the back of his head as a loud guttural moan burst from his lips and he felt a surge of hot cum shoot deep into Shannon’s core.

Sammy noticed something change in Shannon and Dean’s movements, her walls clenching tightly around Sam at their sounds as she heard them both tip over the edge. She could feel his cock like it was  _growing_ inside her.

Sam moved faster and harder as he heard Shannon and Dean calling out their ends. He groaned, feeling himself swelling and Sammy tightening more and more around him. He let out a strangled cry, his hips were barely able to move. He reached his hand between them, rubbing harshly at her clit and she screamed, tears springing from the corners of her eyes as her climax slammed into her. Sam cursed, thrusting once more as he felt himself release inside her. He felt his face drawn to her neck again and he took a deep, long inhale before biting down into the flesh, scarring her neck. His cock twitched another load inside of her as he lapped at the mark, his arms holding her tightly to him.

Shannon finally let her eyes flutter open, seeing the top of Dean’s head as he rested his forehead on her chest. She wiggled her hips, feeling him  _stuck_ and her heart suddenly raced in a panic. **  
**

Sammy clung to Sam and panted as she started to come down, her hand now holding her belly and physically feeling a bulge from Sam’s swollen cock, “Un…” she whined, trying to move and not being able to, “W-what?”

Dean suddenly groaned with another hot load of cum, his head dropping into Shannon’s shoulder as he panted against her skin. He turned the two of them onto their sides, making them more comfortable as he wrapped his arms around her protectively.

“Come ‘ere,” Sam panted, sitting up and pulling Sammy with him as he rolled to his back, laying her sprawled out on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head as he pondered the curious predicament they were currently in.

“You bit me,” Shannon whispered to Dean, her fingers playing with the indentations on her neck.

“Hey,” Sammy huffed, laying her head on Sam’s chest and her eyes lingering on Dean and Shannon with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, “As  _hot_ as all this is, I think it’s safe to say  _none of it_ , was exactly… _normal_.”

“Something’s definitely off,” Sam agreed, shifting his hips slightly and finding himself stuck fast, “I feel like I can  _think_ straight now,” he huffed a laugh, “We just got  _magicked_ and I’m guessing it’s by your weed there.” he sighed out, feeling contentedly sated.

_Would you look at that_ ,  _the tall handsome one has got a brain too_ , the voice chuckled in Sammy’s mind,  _But we all enjoyed ourselves didn’t we? It’d certainly be a pleasurable way to spend all of eternity while my brothers and sisters slowly decimate your world?_

“Well  _that_ doesn’t sound good,” Sammy frowned, blinking as she started to feel her mind clear somewhat, “I think I’ve tuned into _Daedra Radio_  again people.”

“What?” Sam asked, sitting up with Sammy to look at her, “Another vision? Or did you hear something?”

Sammy shuffled, now able to move off of Sam and quickly diving under the bedsheets to retain what little modesty she had left, and explained the voice that had taunted her in her head throughout that whole… _episode_. “Did you guys  _really_ not hear anything?”

As Dean’s knot receded, Shannon turned in his arms to face Sammy, “I didn’t hear  _anything_ ,” Shannon admitted sadly, “I kept feeling like I was trapped in my own head.”

“All logical thought kinda just flew out of the window,” Dean mumbled, staring at the couple of joints that were still left ready-rolled, “And it really did all start as soon as we all smoked  _that_. Where exactly did you pick it up, Shannon?”

“There was this cool young dude outside Keller Pharmacy,” she shrugged, “He was just chatting and it came up.” **  
**

“Well we need to get rid of it,” Dean sighed, swiftly pulling on some pants, “Especially if Sammy’s right with this whole… _eternity_ thing. Although I gotta admit, I’ve had  _worse_ threats.”

Sam looked down at himself, suddenly feeling relieved as all seemed to be as it should, “Well, at least  _that_ was just temporary,” he sighed out, glancing at Dean to see if he was back to normal too.

“Yeah,” Dean nodded in agreement before furrowing his brow, “I wonder what all that shit about  _A B O_  was?” he thought aloud, looking at the others for suggestions.

“I don’t know…” Sammy rubbed her forehead and sighed, “But I guess they were right in that it  _seriously_ fucked us all up.”

“I feel like I need a shower,” Shannon grimaced, “And to never speak of this again,” she added with a chuckle.

“I need to  _sleep_ for a damn week or something, which is  _rare_ ,” Sammy scoffed with a small smile, before waving her hands, “So go on, get the hell outta my room!” she jokingly barked, before grabbing Sam’s arm, “‘cept you. You can stay.”

Sam smiled at her, gathering her into his arms as he pecked her lips, “Not goin’ anywhere,” he promised.

Shannon rose from the bed, grabbing her clothes and hastily making her way to her room.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy’s granted a gift and finds out which Daedra has been playing games with them, leading to a Round 2 distraction.

Sam watched as Shannon hurried from the room, Dean hot on her heels. He turned to Sammy, smiling down at her. He felt connected to her again somehow as if the marks had returned.  **  
**

“Do you feel that?” he whispered to her with a smirk.

“Hmm?” she stirred sleepily, forcing her eyes open and instinctively smiling as she gazed back up at him, “S’like before…” she hummed, leaning into him and relaxing.

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” he asked concerned, remembering how primal he felt in the moment. Then his eyes caught the bite mark on her neck and he ran his fingers around it gently, “I’m so sorry.”

“M’fine.” she sighed a small laugh, moving to lay down on the pillow and tugging him beside her, “Just tired…deal with the rest in the morning…” she pecked his lips gently.

“Okay,” Sam sighed and nodded as he laid back on the pillow, his arms wrapped around her as she drifted to sleep. He stared at the ceiling, his mind reeling and trying to make sense of what just happened.

Shannon took off to her room in a hurry, her clothes still bundled in her arms. She quickly slammed the door shut behind her, tossing her clothes towards the hamper and wrapping herself in her robe. She was using her panic as fuel to guide her through the basic steps of making it to the shower.

A loud knocking came from her door followed by Dean’s concerned voice on the other side, “Baby, you okay?”

“Fine,” she answered with a tight smile, grabbing her towel now that her robe was secure and making to move past him towards the bathroom.

 “Really?” he asked, holding her arm lightly, “‘cause I’m not sure if I am. Whatever  _that_ was back there was fucking  _crazy_.”

“I think we’re all a bit shook or something or what just happened,” she agreed with a sad smile, “But I don’t know what else to do right now.”

 “Me either,” Dean sighed in admittance, looking her directly in the eyes, “But I just wanna be  _near_ you. It feels like…” his words trailed and he sighed.

She wrapped an arm over his shoulder, the other playing with the soft hairs on the back of his head, “Like before?” she smiled, “I think it has to do with this,” she said, running her fingers over the glaring bite mark on her neck, “I felt it, when you did it.”

Dean grimaced slightly at the still red and sore mark. He laughed awkwardly, “S-sorry…I hope I didn’t hurt you too much.”

“It was a  _good_ hurt,” she smirked, “Come on,” she said, tugging him towards the bathroom, “Let’s go wash our sins away,” she winked.

“ _W-what the fuck?_ ” Sammy whined pathetically as she turned on the spot in an empty black void. She knew she was dreaming, another lucid one again apparently. “Me,  _the queen of insomnia_ , falls asleep when I’m  _freaking the fuck out!?_  Nuh-uh, don’t like it, what’s happening?” **  
**

“I have something for you, mortal,” the familiar gentle voice of Azura ringing through the nothing surrounding Sammy.

Sammy went rigid, eyes flitting around as she coughed to clear her throat and trying to not sound like she was a weak trembling idiot, “Y-you again,” she muttered, “Your voice is different, so you aren’t behind all…all  _this_ fuckery. Do you know who’s doing it?”

Sammy suddenly felt a warmth that was not quite hot around her neck and down her chest. A slight weight added to the warmth and Sammy looked down at herself, seeing a necklace with a pendant appearing on her neck. She viewed the pendant, noticing it looked like Azura’s Star from the game but smaller. 

“Sanguine is the one who has been contacting you,” Azura stated, “I offer you this gift, my Star. It will track the location of the Daedra currently interacting with you while you wear it.”

“ _Nice_ …” Sammy nodded with a small smirk, thinking how useful it would have been to have this  _earlier_ , but she felt better not to say anything. “D-do you know how we can stop Sanguine?”

“He can be killed with any weapon. He is as fragile as you mortals. However,  _getting_ to him is the real concern. His tricks and menacing will increase exponentially the closer you draw to him.”

“Sounds  _wonderful_ …” Sammy whined, twiddling her fingers around the amulet which shone a rich blue color under the presence of Azura, “Sorry to sound needy, but don’t suppose you got any tips on h-how to handle his tricks?” she asked sheepishly, knowing she was probably pushing her luck now.

“Daedra take what they want, and do not apologize,” Azura said with a tinge of smugness, “Be safe.”

Sammy woke suddenly, her mind foggy as she looked down at herself to see the necklace still in place. Sam’s hold on her tightened when she jerked awake and he was now rolling her to her back and looking down at her to see she was okay.

“Hey, you’re okay, I’m here,” he soothed, seeing her wide eyes.

“ _Holy shit…_ ” Sammy panted as her vision cleared as she grabbed the pendant around her neck, fumbling with it a confused gaze.

“What is that?” Sam asked quietly as he looked at the strange necklace Sammy held in her hand, “You weren’t wearing that when you went to sleep.”

 

She narrowed her eyes at him, resisting the urge to say  _no shit sherlock_ , “It’s Azura’s Star apparently…” She mumbled instead, rolling her eyes and groaning, “We need to call another late-night meeting don’t we?”

“Can it wait ‘til morning?” he asked, finally feeling sleepy. **  
**

“Thank God,” she sighed with relief, shifting from the bed and moving to the mirror, fumbling with the chain the pendant hung from, “Lemme just take this damn thing off….” she frowned as she kept turning the chain, over and over and realizing there was no clasp anywhere on it, “Oh…it  _doesn’t_ come off.  _Wonderful_!”

Sam climbed out of bed hurriedly, standing behind her as he moved her hair, examining the chain and finding no clasp or opening.

“You  _really_ want it off?” he said, tucking two fingers between the chain and her skin, catching her gaze in the mirror.

“D’ya think that’s a good idea?” she grimaced with worry, “It’s evidently not supposed too…”

“I don’t like it,” he admitted with a shake of his head, “I don’t know  _what_ it is or  _where_ it came from. Who knows what it could do? I don’t want it locked on you.”

“Not to mention it looks like  _trash_ ,” Sammy tried to joke it off with a small smirk, burying her fear and turning to look him in the eye, “It’s from Azura, and she called it a gift so…for  _whatever_ reason she seems to be trying to help.  _And_ she told me which Daedra’s got us in his crosshairs right now. So…I don’t know, give her a chance with her questionable accessory choices I guess.”

“Fine,” he huffed, clearly not happy, “So who we lookin’ at this time?” he sighed, turning from her and grabbing his sweats from the floor, slipping them on before sitting on the side of the bed.

“ _Sanguine_ apparently…” she huffed back, throwing on a discarded shirt and pants and getting to her feet, “I’m looking in the Daedra book…”

Sam groaned, watching her leave before getting to his feet.  _No sleep then_.

Sam sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by papers, the Daedra book in front of him, the coffee pot sitting on the table next to his mug. Dean shuffled into the kitchen, reaching for the coffee and stopping when he realized it wasn’t where it should have been. He turned, seeing the pot sitting on the table and frowned, grabbing a glass and sitting across from his brother as he took a sip. **  
**

“All-nighter? Again?” Dean croaked, rubbing his eyes and frowning, “Did I miss something? Where’s Sammy?”

The sound of snoring then met Dean’s ears, he peered over Sam’s shoulder and saw Sammy curled up and snoozing in one of the big armchairs, “Oh, nevermind.”

“She had another dream with Azura,” Sam sighed, his eyes trained on the book as he read, “She passed out shortly after we came out here,” he huffed.

“Why didn’t  _you_ go pass out then?” Dean countered with a frown, “I can’t be dealing with your  _cranky ass_  all day.” **  
**

“Because that Daedra  _bitch_ locked some permanent necklace on Sammy,” Sam frowned, “Some  _gift_ that’s supposed to locate these things. And the dick that fucked with us is called Sanguine. He’s a real Sodom and Gomorrah type.” Sam scowled.

Dean groaned, gulping his coffee and rubbing his forehead, “Why can’t it be one thing at a time?”

“Apparently, it  _is_ ,” Sam said, “We can only be affected by one at a time according to the book, which I’d say is a good thing. And Sanguine can be killed just like a human, anything goes.”

“At least  _that’s_ something,” Dean shrugged in acceptance, “So we just find him and gank him.”

“ _Yeeees_ ,” Sam said in a low tone, “Except, uh…” he looked at Dean with a sigh, “The closer we get to him, the more insane and intense the debauchery and hedonism,” he gave a tight smile, “If we all thought  _last night_  was something…”

“ _Swiftly_ moving on,” Dean said quickly, topping up his coffee, “So what the hell are we supposed to do to even get  _close_ to him?”

“There is no  _moving on_  Dean,” Sam scowled at his brother, “It  _happened_ and will probably happen again, if not worse,” he scoffed.

“Well I didn’t exactly hear anyone  _complaining_ last night,” Dean scoffed back, “The hell else are we supposed to do? If it happens again, so what? We’re all adults aren’t we?”

“We need to burn the weed, get rid of it,” Sam insisted, closing the book and rising from his seat, “We said last night that was probably it, right? Then we won’t have to worry.”

“ _That_ , I can agree with,” Dean nodded, “Shit didn’t get… _weird_ until that stuff came into the equation.”

They found the remnants of the weed and joints, gathered up everything and slunk silently outdoors to burn the items. As Dean lit the pile, they both stepped back, trying to avoid the plume of smoke rising up.

“You should know,” Sam said hesitantly, shuffling on his feet, “I really was about to fuck your girlfriend last night.”

“Well, I was gonna fuck yours too…” Dean frowned with a shrug, “Call it even and leave it at that?”

“Deal,” Sam agreed, watching the smoke twirl, “So…track and kill Sanguine?”

“That’s the plan,” Dean sighed, turning to move back inside, “Just work out how this pendant thing works first…”

They spent the day reviewing the Daedra book and examining the necklace, the girls joining in once they were awake. They felt like they could write a book report on Sanguine now, yet they were no closer to actually  _finding_ him. **  
**

“I need a drink,” Shannon sighed in frustration after a while, “Since  _someone_ destroyed the weed.” she glared at the brothers.

“Ugh,” Sammy whined, shooting her own glare at the boys, “Stop reminding me…I’d kill for a J right now.”

“After what happened you  _still_ want to smoke that shit?” Sam said to Sammy in surprise, “That’s  _exactly_ what the movie  _Reefer Madness_  warned us about!”

Sammy couldn’t help but smirk at his comment before trying her weak counter-argument, “Look, we don’t  _know_ that it was the weed that made that happen. Prove me wrong. And I’ll be having a drink too seeing as there’s  _nothing_ else I can do to numb all this shit.”

“Well,” Sam countered, helping to grab the glasses and bottles to move to the table for everyone, “Not once today have any of us tried to jump each other’s bones,” he pointed out.

“ _Maybe_ because I haven’t heard Sanguine in my head all day either,” Sammy shrugged as she poured herself a drink, “Maybe him showing up when we were baked was just a coincidence.”

They all four clinked their glasses before taking long sips. They sat in silence as they each worked on emptying their first glass, Sam pouring another round.

_Alcohol is more fun than goofy grass_ , Sammy heard the familiar voice of Sanguine in her ears,  _Just a sip, just a taste, and I’ll come runnin’_. 

Sammy squeaked in surprise, nearly choking as the voice came to her mid-sip. She spat the liquor back into the glass in panic as she saw a blue light emanate from the pendant, “Uh…red alert?” she squeaked pathetically.

Their eyes went wide as they looked at the pendant, standing from their seats, “Where?” Dean demanded.

“I don’t  _know_!” Sammy snapped in panic, also jumping from her seat and looking around hastily, “I know he’s all up in my head though!”

_Drink and be merry_ , Sanguine sang in Sammy’s head,  _Or I’ll make you._

“ _Oh shit…_ ” she whimpered, looking at all three of them helplessly, “He says we gotta drink or he’s  _making_ us drink.”

Sam’s face twisted in confusion as he looked at the liquor, before realization dawned on him, “Debauchery,” Sam said suddenly, “He needs us intoxicated to control us like last night.” he said, looking quickly at his brother.

“ _Anything_ to stop us tracking him down,” Dean groaned before shrugging, “Well…we don’t drink then. I’m not drunk  _right now_  so surely he can’t do shit.” **  
**

_Oh, that’s not good_ , Sanguine said in a dreary tone,  _Dean chose Shojo._

“ _Shojo_?” Sammy raised an eyebrow in confusion, “The fuck does  _that_ mean?”

“Shojo?” Sam echoed, turning to his brother, “Isn’t that the one you gotta be drunk to see?” he asked, his concern mounting rapidly.

“Oh, you have  _got_ to be kidding?” Dean whined in defeat, quickly grabbing the bottle and twisting the cap off, “We got no fucking choice then.”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Sammy shrieked, “Are you for real? This is a  _thing_!?”

“Yeah, it’s a thing,” Sam stated, moving to the bookcase and grabbing down to silver blades, tossing one to Dean, “I think I have some spring water in the fridge,” he said to his brother, trying to strategize before smirking, “And you said memorizing that Japanese incantation was stupid.”

“All right,  _nerd_ ,” Dean rolled his eyes, before turning to the girls, “We don’t  _all_ need to be wasted for this. Sam, you deal with the spell, I’ll do the drink and find the shojo, you girls take cover and  _stay there_.”

“Dean, that’s not gonna work,” Sam said, grabbing Dean’s arm and stopping him from leaving, “We  _all_ need to see this thing coming. Even if they went to hide, they’d have no idea if they just locked themselves in a room with the thing.” he argued.

“So we all stick together then!” Dean bit back in frustration, “I’ll hold the thing off,  _you do the spell_. We can’t afford to let Sanguine get control over _all of us_!”

“Better to face his little game than risk any of us  _dying_ Dean,” Sam growled back at him, “This is going to keep happening. Fourteen other Daedra are coming. We can’t keep making them hide, we need to be a team.”

Sammy rolled her eyes, grabbing another bottle from the table and cracking it open without a word before she took a long heavy gulp and grimaced. “I’m not getting jumped by an invisible ghost,” she coughed her words slightly. **  
**

Sam looked grateful and Dean looked defeated as the two of them watched Sammy chugging like a champ on the bottle before passing it to Shannon. She took her turn drawing on it before handing it back once more. Dean sighed, shaking his head, before fixing him and Sam up with drinks and joining in as they all proceeded to get  _beyond_ drunk.

“I gonna be sick,” Sammy groaned, wobbling on her feet slightly and clumsily setting down the empty bottle.

_Now that your drunk I guess I don’t need to summon the Shojo_ , Sanguine chuckled in Sammy’s mind,  _Oh well, now to think of some games._ **  
**

Sammy gasped as the color drained from her face. She clumsily lunged for the bottle of spring water Sam had brought for the spell and chugged on it like a madwoman.

“Babe?” Sam said, looking at Sammy with squinted eyes as she hastily chugged the water bottle, “That was for the spell,” he said calmly.

She choked on the water, coughing, and spluttering before looking at the boy with a pathetic pout, “H-he just said…he hadn’t summoned it yet,” she whimpered.

“Oh good,” Dean exclaimed, “Don’t wanna fight,” he muttered, haphazardly tossing the blade over his shoulder and reaching for his glass, pouring a fresh round with a broad grin.

“ _Dean_!” Sammy cried in horror, “He  _wants_ us drunk!” 

“Sweetheart, we’re  _already_ drunk,” he countered with a smirk, “He pulled an ol’ switcheroo and tricked us right into the trap. S’done, just drink.”

She whined again before huffily dropping back into her seat with a hiccup and pouting, “So dumb.”

“It’s actually an old battle tactic,” Sam hiccupped with a smile, “Like, the  _oldest_ trick in the book,” he chuckled, his lips feeling numb from how drunk he was.

“And _I_  fell for it,” she moaned, grabbing another bottle and clumsily filling her glass, “ _My bad guys_ , Sammy did an idiot again.”

“We fall or it almost every time too,” Sam reassured her, “Not your fault.”

_Hmmm….ooh, I’ve got a game!_  Before Sammy could react, Shannon sat up in excitement.

“Let’s play Truth or Dare!” she squealed in delight. Sammy could hear Sanguine’s giddy giggle in her mind.

_Hell no!_  Sammy’s mind screamed, yet the words that came out were, “ _Oooh_ that sounds like fun!” with a mischievous grin.

“Dean!” Shannon chirped, “Truth or Dare?” she grinned wickedly.

“Gimme a truth,” Dean smirked, already forgetting what the previous conversation was about as he took another sip of his drink, “I’ll need more booze before dares come into play.”

“Tell me,” she thought, tapping her finger on her chin, “Ooh, tell me something you’ve  _thought_ but never said out loud, even to yourself,” she smirked.

“Well…” Dean chuckled, his mind screaming for the sentence to not continue, but his lips moving of their own accord,  _“Last night_  confirmed my suspicion that seeing Sam fuck a girl is hot as shit.” **  
**

“You liked watching him fuck Sammy,” Shannon grinned, “Or you liked watching  _him_?”

Sammy’s cheeks burned red as she watched Dean reply with a simple, “Both.”

Dean watched in satisfaction as the girls had various aroused responses to his statement. “I believe it’s  _my_ turn now, right?” he smirked, his eyes bouncing between the girls and landed on Sammy, “Truth or Dare, Sweetheart?”

She sunk slightly in her seat, feeling like a deer in headlights. Every fiber of her being wanted to leave this situation but she could only internally recoil as she felt her mouth stutter, “T-truth.”

“Do you know where Sanguine is?” Dean asked her, his mind telling him that if they had a connection, maybe she could see it.

_Tricky little prick_ , Sammy heard a low growl in her mind, a flash of an image in her mind.

“ _Whoa_ …” Sammy slurred, the pendant flashing blue again and reflecting in her eyes, “He’s in a motel somewhere…”

“Really?” Dean said, surprised that thought had worked. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog of the drunkenness.

“It’s a real dive,” Sammy chuckled, taking another swig as she focused hard on the image, trying to remember the little details, specifically what seemed like a sign outside of the window, “M-Mickey’s Truck Stop?”

“You can see that?” Sam asked in awe, trying to focus, but feeling his body lifting the glass to his lips, more liquor running through him.

_Drink and be merry! Drink and be merry!_ Sanguine screeched panicked again and again, all of them downing their glasses and pouring more rapidly.

“I-I can’t stop,” Sammy panted, her lips still wet from her last drink as she poured yet another. 

“Why are we drinking so much?” Sam hiccupped with a giggle, setting his glass on the table too hard and it shattering in his hand.

“ _You_ can probably handle it ya big freaking yeti man,” Dean retorted as he down another Whiskey, “Normal people like us will probably die of alcohol poisoning.”

“Sam is  _so_ big,” Shannon sighed out dreamily, staring at Sam from across the table, “So so big.”

“ _Yeah, he is_ ,” Sammy chuckled darkly as she drunk again, her eyes flitting to Dean, “Dean’s pretty big too,” she bit her lip and giggled.

“The girls are perving on us again,” Sam chuckled, suddenly remembering last night’s  _fun_ but not much else. He bit his lip as he returned Shannon’s gaze. **  
**

“You guys  _started it_  last night,” Sammy countered with a chuckle as she drained her glass again.

“Nuh-uh,” Dean countered, “ _Y’all_ started it by making out in Baby!”

“Heh,” Sammy bit her lip as her cheeks pinkened. She winked at Shannon, “Yeah, that was  _hot_.”

“Yeah, it was,” Shannon murmured, “It all  _started_ when I kissed you,” she whispered as she leaned into Sammy, gently pulling her lips to meet her own.

_In these stories, you seem to like your men possessive and jealous_ , Sanguine mused as pages being turned could be heard,  _Interesting._

_What fucking stories!?_ Sammy panicked in her mind, while on the outside she moaned into Shannon’s kiss and tangled a hand in her hair. It wasn’t long before that logical voice of hers got pushed and buried somewhere deep and forgotten.

“Hey,” Dean and Sam growled at the girls. They broke apart abruptly, turning their confused eyes to the irate brothers. Dean stormed around the table, a fire in his eyes as he took Shannon by the arm and pulled her to her feet.

“You  _know_ how I feel about what happened and you just do  _that_ right in front of me?” he said in a low tone as he stared at her, “No one but me gets to touch and kiss you.”

“Well,  _yesterday_ it was apparently hot,” Sammy scoffed and folded her arms in a huff.

“It’s different now,” Sam agreed, turning Sammy to look at him, “You’ve been  _claimed_ ,” he said as he ran his thumb over the mark on her neck, “You’re  _mine_ now.”

Sammy could do nothing but blink rapidly as she gazed up at him and was unable to find words. A small flurry happened deep in her belly which made her breath shake.

Dean tugged Shannon close to him, pushing his forehead on hers, as he stared into her eyes and grazed his thumb along her cheekbone, “So, are you going to apologize?” he asked lowly, “Or do you girls need to be punished?”

“Well, I’m not sorry I did it,” Shannon smirked up at him, “She has the  _softest_ lips,” she whispered teasingly hovering over Dean’s own lips.

“And I  _love_ the taste of Shannon’s tongue,” Sammy smirked and bit her lip, gazing over at her.

Sam’s hand traveled up Sammy’s neck from the mark, his fingers tangling in her hair before he made a tight fist, sharply angling her head back as he hovered menacingly over her, his lips ghosting hers, “Are you  _trying_ to piss me off?” he breath fanned across her lips. **  
**

She winced slightly at the tug on her hair, her thighs almost trembling from how hot she was finding this entire situation. She couldn’t understand why she wanted to keep goading him, her voice trembling somewhat as she smirked and whispered, “I’m just telling the  _truth_.”

Sam was silent for several long moments before a crooked smirk tugged at his lips. With his free hand, he worked on his belt. His other hand, still fisted in her hair, started pushing her down to her knees. “Then I guess we should keep your mouth busy.”

Dean’s eyes flitted to the duo, a small growl in his throat before his eyes snapped back to Shannon, “I think she’s getting off  _lightly_ , I got  _plans_ for you, Baby,” he mumbled with a dark smirk.

“Aww,” she teased, “You’re so  _cute_ when you’re jealous,” she giggled, not noting the sharp change in the darkness in his eyes.

“ _Cute_?” he raised his eyebrow with a smirk. He forcefully spun them both around and forced her to lay back on the table. His hand forced its way under the waistband on her pants, his fingers pushing hard into her panty covered entrance, “See how cute it is when I keep hanging you on the edge but  _never_ let you tip over.”

“Dean,” she whined in surprise, gasping at the sudden intrusion as Dean’s skillfully working his fingers, “What are you doing?” she whined, trying to gain purchase to move from the table or crawl away, but Dean held her fast.

Sam glanced over at Dean and smirked, seeing the way he handled Shannon. He looked back down at Sammy, holding the head against her lips, and raising a brow at her expectantly.

Sammy whined, trying push back on Sam’s legs but his firm hand in her hair keeping her in place. She knew there was no getting out of this situation, relenting and parting her lips, allowing him to forcefully push himself into her mouth. She moaned, thighs trembling again as she clenched her eyes tight.

“I’m reminding you who you belong too,” Dean stated, his fingers now dipping past her panties and rubbing fierce circles on Shannon’s throbbing clit.

“Oh fuck Dean,” Shannon whined, feeling herself rapidly approaching that edge. She looked up at Dean, his eyes dark, pupils blown as he watched himself work her over. It was as if he couldn’t see past the anger and lust within himself.

As Sammy looked up at Sam, she could see the same darkness taking him over. He thrust his hips, forcing his cock into the back of her throat before pulling back out again, “So good,” he breathed out, working his hips in a rhythm once more.

As Dean felt Shannon approaching that edge, his fingers suddenly stopped. He pulled his hand back and out of Shannon’s pants, smirking as he watched her huff and whine in frustration. “Not deserved it yet,” he shrugged. **  
**

Sammy moaned as she felt her core ache and flutter at Sam’s satisfied noises. She could also hear Shannon’s and her cheeks flushed red as she let her own hand trail and find her panty covered mound under her sleep pants.

Shannon growled at Dean, her eyes narrowed as she panted, “Get me off or I’ll do it myself,” she ordered, staring him down.

As Sammy’s hand moved over her center, Sam caught the movement. He grunted, swiftly withdrawing from her lips, tugging her up by her hair, and slamming her chest down onto the table. “ _Mine_ ,” He growled into her ear before delivering a sharp, stinging slap to her ass.

“Don’t think so,” Dean retorted with a cocky smile, pushing his leg between Shannons to keep them open while both of his now worked to pull down her pants. He kept her perched on the edge of the table, supporting her legs on his hips as he leaned over her, ghosting his lips over the mark on her neck, “You will only cum when I tell you too from now on,” he stated.

“Sam!” Sammy cried in shock, trying to push herself back up to a standing position, “ _What the fuck!?_ ”

_Possessive_ , Sammy heard a dark chuckle,  _Suits them._

Sam growled at Sammy’s struggling, grabbing her arms and crossing them behind her back, holding them in place with one hand. He ground himself against her, his hardness evident through all the material. “ _Mine_ ,” he reiterated, leaning over her and nipping at the mark on her neck.

“Dean,” Shannon pleaded, feeling his touch getting harsher, his grip tighter, “Baby, you’re scaring me,” she whimpered.

“Oh fuck…” Sammy whined, a tint of defeat in her voice as she felt a surge of heat course through her core at Sam’s movements. She found herself pushing back into him needily, her pants for breath melting into soft whines and whimpers.

“Shh..” Dean said softly, now kneeling to the floor and his face hovering over Shannon’s entrance, “Just let me take care of you Baby, that’s all I want you to do.” He trailed soft pecks along her inner thigh, another rumble in his throat as he found her slick covered entrance, sweeping a long stroke through her folds with his tongue.

Shannon whined the moment his tongue touched her. He had her reeling, her mind now devoid of any other thoughts. She gripped at his hair, tugging him where she needed him and writhing her hips against his mouth.

Sam groaned in satisfaction at the sounds Sammy gave, the way she submitted so easily to him. He worked open her pants, releasing her hands to tug off her pants and panties with both hands. The moment he had them dropped past her knees, he was laid over her once more, kissing along the exposed areas of her shoulders and neck as he ruts his length against her.

Dean smiled against Shannon, reveling in her neediness for him as he let his tongue dive and explore every inch of her inviting pussy. He hooked his arms around her thighs, tugging her tightly too him as he continued to fuck her with his tongue, his nose brushing on her swollen clit as he moved. **  
**

Sammy whined impatiently, rolling her hips desperately against Sam. “ _Please_ ,” she begged breathlessly.

“That’s my good girl,” Sam moaned, notching himself at her entrance and  _slowly_ pushing into her inch by inch, his head tossed back and eyes squeezed shut at the feeling.

Shannon caught the sight of Sammy bent over, Sam working himself into her.  _How did we get here again_? She moaned, then gasped as Dean hit a sensitive spot and set to work abusing it.

Dean could feel Shannon’s thighs clenching around him as she climbed higher to that edge once more. It took a bit more willpower on his part this time, but he had a point to prove as he pulled himself away, rising back to his feet and wiping his plump lips with thumb and then sucking it dry with a chuckle, “Not just yet, Baby,” he teased.

Sammy dug her nails into the wood of the table as Sam pushed himself into her at a sinfully slow pace. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt herself clench and adjust around him and she wiggled her hips hungrily, silently pleading for him to move.

“Feel good, Baby?” Sam whispered to Sammy as his cock twitched inside of her but he remained still.

“ _Whhyyyy_?” Shannon whined in protest as Dean pulled away, feeling on the verge of tears as her hands found their way to her center for relief.

Dean’s hand moved fast, quickly stopping Shannon’s in their tracks and jerking them up and above her head. He tutted patronizingly, holding her with one hand, while the other worked to rid himself on his jeans, allowing his hard cock to spring free which he nonchalantly gave a few lazy pumps, “Are you gonna be a good girl and cum when I tell you too?” he asked.

Sammy growled again impatiently, whimpering at Sam’s question and nodding fiercely as more pleas spilled from her lips.

“Yes,  _please_ ,” Shannon begged Dean, wrapping her legs around him to pull him forward, feeling like she’d explode any minute, her desperation consuming her.

Sam pulled out slowly until just the tip remained, before slamming back in harshly to the hilt, causing Sammy to scream out. “Who does this pussy belong to?” Sam hummed in her ear, holding himself  _deep_ within her once more.

“S’more like it,” Dean crooned, hovering his body over Shannon as he pushed the head of his cock firmly against Shannon’s clit. The noises from Sam and Sammy made his hairs stand on end with arousal, his cock twitching hungrily which made Shannon whimper. Dean sighed, swiftly gliding his thick cock through her slick and gliding through her entrance with ease before he bottomed out with a harsh thrust.

Sammy cried out again, feeling like the air just got punched from her lungs. She panted quickly, her knuckles going white from clenching her fists so hard as she gasped the answers he’d want to hear, “I’m yours Sam, only yours.” **  
**

“ _Damn right_ ,” he growled into her ear before standing up and firmly grasping her hips in his large hands and starting a punishing rhythm, “Gonna  _ruin_ this pussy,” he grunted as he pounded her hard, “Mine, only mine.”

Shannon moaned long and loud as Dean entered her. There was only Dean, inside her, around her. She sighed as she reached to pull him closer, the alarm in her mind telling her to take warning to the coldness of his eyes, but her body didn’t seem to care.

Sammy’s mind was almost blank as she propped herself up on her arms. She raised her hips to meet him, the only sounds she could muster were groans and cries of bliss as she let Sam completely dominate her. She cursed harshly, struggling to hold on as she felt her legs threaten to buckle.

Dean allowed Shannon to pull him to her, diving his tongue through her parted lips as he started slowly rolling his hips, bottoming out with repeated harsh thrusts. He swallowed her moans hungrily, nipping her bottom lip as he started to suck and kiss a trail along her jawline towards his mark on her neck. He flattened his tongue on it, grazing his teeth along to tender flesh and digging his fingers into her hips harshly.

Sam felt himself growing close. He pulled Sammy upright against him, shifting his hips as he continued to pound into her. His hand snaked around her body, finding her clit and rubbing fast and hard on the nub, “Come for me,” Sam growled in her ear.

Shannon’s body trembled as she felt Dean’s tongue and teeth teasing at the sensitive flesh of the fresh bite mark. She whimpered, clinging onto Dean and holding on for the ride, feeling her body giving over to him completely.

Sammy cried with many silent moans, she reached up to tangle her hands in Sam’s hair, feeling the head of his cock collide harshly with her cervix as he fucked up into her. Her thighs clenched hard, feeling like she was about to burst as she suddenly cursed harshly.

Dean was losing himself, wanting nothing more than to throw Shannon hard over that edge, letting her take him with her as felt his end approaching. His cock throbbed hard as his pace grew erratic as he began pounding her, his mouth now trailing back to Shannon’s and twirling his tongue deeply with hers. A calloused finger pressed into her clit as Dean smirked against her lips and began to rub the bud furiously, “You can cum now, Sweetheart.”

Sam grunted harshly as he felt Sammy’s walls clench around him, her body trembling in his arms as he thrust into her several more times, pushing her forward onto the table once more and burying himself deeply into her as he came with a roar.

Shannon wanted to make some smart ass remark, but all she could do was let her body obey Dean’s commands. She let go, her vision whiting out as searing pleasure shot through her body.

_C’mon now, you really all enjoyed that_ , Sanguine tittered in Sammy’s mind, causing her to whine helplessly as she felt Sam’s hot seed spill into her a second time in as many days. She felt her high begin to fade, glancing at Dean and Shannon reach their ends while her cheeks burned something fierce. She wanted to move, hell maybe even run to her room and hide but had absolutely zero energy to do so. **  
**

Dean was quick to follow Shannon, roaring with a final harsh thrust as he buried himself into her to hilt and spilled deep into her with long satisfied groans. He buckled slightly, his weight dropping on her slightly as he panted and let his mind run with the high.

“Fuck,” Sam grunted, slowly withdrawing from Sammy with a hiss. His mind was suddenly clear as if he hadn’t just been drunk off his ass. He situated his clothes, before helping Sammy with hers and turning her swiftly to capture her lips in a kiss, much more gentle than she expected.

Shannon whined, her body jerking involuntarily with each rope of cum she felt filling her. She clung to Dean, afraid of what she might see, or  _not_ see, in Dean’s eyes now.

Sammy whimpered quietly against Sam’s lips, still panting for breath as she quickly pulled back from him and straightened her top, blushing harshly not knowing where to look or what to say.

Dean removed himself from Shannon with a small groan, pulling up his jeans and picking Shannon’s up from the floor. He gazed at her worryingly as she dressed herself, his voice slightly choked, “Baby I…I couldn’t control myself there, you know that right?”

“Are you still upset?” she asked Dean hesitantly, searching his eyes and finding the lust and darkness gone.

“No,” he answered quickly and gently, “M’just worried I might have hurt or scared you.”

“You  _did_ scare me,” she admitted, “But you  _didn’t_ hurt me, okay?” she reassured him, glancing over at the Sammy’s and seeing them both awkwardly struggling with what just transpired.

“Baby, you  _know_ that wasn’t me,” Dean sighed, pulling her to him as he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, “I mean…you  _know_ I find the you and Sammy stuff  _hot_ ,” he offered with a small chuckle, “I’m sorry, Sweetheart.”

“It’s weird,” Shannon said, glancing at him and then over at Sammy, “It’s like Sanguine  _knows_ our  _ideas_ and exploits them, makes them worse or something,” Shannon said to Sammy, “You know what I mean?” she tried to urge her, not wanting to explain those things in front of the guys…for obvious reasons.

_Do tell them_ , Sanguine cheered,  _I’ll find them. I’ll find them ALL._

Sammy grimaced and hopped down from the table, her footing wobbling slightly as she frowned and straightened herself, “I’m finding out where this motel is,” she mumbled, avoiding eye contact with everyone, “There will  _not_ be a round three of this.”

Sam’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he watched Sammy walk off. “ _Mickey’s Truck Stop_ ,” Sam sighed, walking around the table to grab his laptop and start searching.

 

“We need to stop this fast,” Shannon said, looking up at Dean and removing herself from his arms, “I’ll go help Sammy.”


End file.
